Tiafenacil is registered in the United States for use in annual crops such as corn and soybean, but not on orchard crops. Field studies were conducted to determine orchard crop safety and efficacy of tiafenacil on important California orchard weeds. To evaluate crop safety, tiafenacil was applied at 74, 148, and 222 g ai ha−1 alone and with 38 g ai ha−1 of tolpyralate three times per year at the base of almond, pistachio, prune, and walnut trees. The first treatment was applied 2 mo after the trees had been transplanted. In all four tree crop experiments, treatments were applied once in May 2020, then three times again during the winter of 2021 and 2022 at 21-d treatment intervals. There were no visual foliar injury symptoms or treatment-related effects on tree trunk diameter change even at the highest tested rate of tiafenacil applied seven times over three growing seasons. In a separate study of weed control, in most instances, tiafenacil applied at 12 g ai ha−1 performed similarly to that of tiafenacil plus glufosinate. Control of glyphosate-resistant hairy fleabane with tiafenacil applied alone at 25 g ai ha−1 was 65% by 14 d after treatment. Tiafenacil applied at 50 g ai ha−1 to hairy fleabane performed similarly to glufosinate plus glyphosate. In a greenhouse study, tiafenacil applied at 12 g ha−1 provided 95% to 100% control of barnyardgrass and junglerice, and there was no significant difference between tiafenacil applied alone or with glufosinate. Saflufenacil applied alone or in a mixture with glufosinate was not as effective as the tiafenacil treatments for grass weed control. Based on experiments conducted over three growing seasons in four tree fruit and tree nut crops, tiafenacil crop safety appeared to be acceptable even at up to 2- or 3-fold the expected use rate.

Blackgrass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.) and silky windgrass [Apera spica-venti (L.) P. Beauv.] are becoming a significant problem in Europe. Due to the development of herbicide-resistant biotypes and unwanted side effects of herbicides, there is a need for new integrated weed management strategies to control weeds. Therefore, reducing weed infestations by targeting seed production during crop harvest should be considered. In 2017 and 2018, we estimated the fraction of the total seed production of A. myosuroides and A. spica-venti in a field that potentially could be collected by a grain harvester during winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) harvest. Twenty plants of each species were surrounded by a porous net before flowering to trap shed seeds during reproductive development. Seeds were collected and counted weekly up until and immediately before wheat harvest, and the ratio of harvestable seeds to shed seeds during the growing season was determined. Alopecurus myosuroides produced on average 953 seeds plant−1 in 2017 and 3,337 seeds plant−1 in 2018. In 2017 and 2018, 29% and 37% of the total A. myosuroides seeds produced, respectively, were retained on plants at maturity. Apera spica-venti produced on average 1,192 seeds plant−1 in 2017 and 5,678 seeds plant−1 in 2018, and retained 53% and 16% of the seeds at harvest, respectively. If a grain harvester potentially collected approximately 30% of the total seed production of the two grass weeds and removed or killed them, it would reduce seed input to the soil seedbank. However, such methods cannot stand alone to reduce weed pressure.

Herbicide-resistant weeds are a growing concern globally; in response, new herbicide resistance traits are being inserted into crops. Isoxaflutole-resistant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] will provide a new mode of action for use in this crop. Ten experiments were conducted over a 2-yr period (2017, 2018) to determine herbicide interactions between isoxaflutole and metribuzin on soybean injury, weed control efficacy, and soybean yield on a range of soil types. Soybean leaf-bleaching injury caused by isoxaflutole was most severe at sites with higher levels of rainfall after application. Control of weed species with isoxaflutole (52.5, 79, and 105 g ai ha−1) and metribuzin (210, 315, and 420 g ai ha−1) differed by site based on amount of rainfall after application. At sites where there was sufficient rainfall for herbicide activation, isoxaflutole at all rates controlled common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), Amaranthus spp., common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) >90%; metribuzin at all rates controlled Amaranthus spp. and witchgrass (Panicum capillare L.) >80%. Control of every weed species evaluated was reduced when there was limited rainfall after herbicide application. The co-application of isoxaflutole + metribuzin resulted in additive or synergistic interactions for the control of C. album, Amaranthus spp., A. artemisiifolia, A. theophrasti, Setaria spp., barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv], and P. capillare. Isoxaflutole and metribuzin can be an effective management strategy for common annual broadleaf and grass weeds in Ontario if timely rainfall events occur after herbicide application.

Itchgrass [Rottboellia cochinchinensis (Lour.) Clayton] is recognized as one of the most noxious and troublesome annual weeds in tropical and subtropical regions. Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides have been frequently used for managing R. cochinchinensis POST in a variety of crops, resulting in evolved resistance to these herbicides. Recently, resistance to fluazifop-P-butyl has been demonstrated for this weed, as the result of a G-to-C single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) that leads to the Trp-2027-Cys substitution in the ACCase enzyme. This study was conducted to develop a high-resolution melting analysis (HRMA) for the detection of the mutation underlying the Trp-2027-Cys substitution. The HRMA assay allowed differentiating between fluazifop-P-butyl–resistant (C mutant) and susceptible (G wild type) R. cochinchinensis plants. HRMA accuracy was confirmed with DNA sequencing of the target-site mutation, and no false positives or negatives were observed. Our results illustrated how HRMA is effective detecting the Trp-2027-Cys substitution in an R. cochinchinensis resistance, and how this technique can be of great value for developing high-throughput programs for monitoring evolution and dispersion of target site–based herbicide resistance at large scales.

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] (30, 125, 250 mg/L) in petri dishes had no effect on germination of prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.), velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic), barnyardgrass [Echinocloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.] and johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.] seeds, but additional experimentation indicated that glyphosate stimulated germination of redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) seeds. Paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium ion) (30, 125, 250 mg/L) did not affect germination of the three broadleaf species, but inhibited johnsongrass and barnyardgrass germination. In the greenhouse, soil surface applications of glyphosate (1.1, 2.2, 9.0 kg/ha) did not significantly affect emergence of these five weed species when they were on or beneath the soil surface at time of treatment. Paraquat (same rates) did not affect broadleaf weed emergence but some rates inhibited grass weed emergence when the seeds were treated while on the soil surface. It is unlikely that normal field use rates of glyphosate will influence weed emergence; whereas paraquat may inhibit the emergence of some grass weeds if the herbicide contacts seeds on the soil surface.

Data obtained from two experiments were used to identify and describe factors affecting crop loss due to weeds in forage stands. Timothy (Phleum pratense L. ‘Champ′) was established in presence or absence of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ‘Bruce′), red clover (Trifolium pratense L. ‘Florex′), broadleaf weeds, and grass weeds. Botanical composition, soil water, soil nutrients, light interception, and plant cover were determined 4 and 6 weeks after seeding, and crop yield was determined at periodic forage harvest dates. Principal components analyses permitted the extraction of 12 factors and regression analyses demonstrated that these factors can be used to describe crop yield. Each factor can be estimated either by obtaining the rotated factor scores or by selecting a representative variable that can be substituted for the rotated factor scores in the regression models. The approach described in this paper should be tested with other crops and other weed complexes. It is suggested to use weed density in combination with weed and crop cover data to predict crop loss.

Weed control in Florida citrus is primarily based on herbicides. Saflufenacil, a POST-applied herbicide is recently registered for broadleaf weed control in citrus. Saflufenacil has very limited grass activity; therefore, it should be tank mixed with graminicides or broad-spectrum herbicides to increase the spectrum of weed control. Greenhouse and field experiments were conducted at two locations (Polk County and Orange County, FL) to evaluate the efficacy and potential antagonism or synergy of saflufenacil and sethoxydim applied alone or tank mixed, and various two- and three-way mixes with glyphosate or pendimethalin. The results suggested that tank mixing saflufenacil and sethoxydim had neither synergistic nor antagonistic effect on broadleaf and grass weed control, respectively. Tank mixing pendimethalin with saflufenacil and sethoxydim improved broadleaf and grass weed control and reduced weed density and biomass, compared with saflufenacil or sethoxydim applied alone or tank mixed at 45 and 60 d after treatment (DAT). Glyphosate tank mixed with saflufenacil and sethoxydim provided > 90% control of broadleaf and grass weeds at 15 DAT, reduced density ≤ 8 plants m−2, and reduced biomass < 95 g m−2 at 60 DAT. Glyphosate applied alone was less effective than it was when tank mixed with saflufenacil and sethoxydim or pendimethalin for broadleaf and grass weed control, indicating an additive effect of tank mixture on glyphosate efficacy. It is concluded that saflufenacil can be tank mixed with sethoxydim for control of broadleaf and grass weeds without antagonism on the efficacy of either herbicide; however, tank mixing saflufenacil and sethoxydim with glyphosate or pendimethalin provided long-term, broad-spectrum weed control in Florida citrus.

Tropical signalgrass (TSG) causes serious problems for sod production and turf maintenance in Florida. Other grasses such as large crabgrass (CG), smutgrass (SG), thin paspalum (TP), and torpedograss (TG) can be problematic as well. Several emulsion formulations composed of mycelium or mycelium-free culture filtrate (or both) of the fungal pathogen Drechslera gigantea (DG) and Sunspray 6E oil were tested with or without ammonium sulfate or pelargonic acid (n-nonanoic acid; a natural product registered as a biorational herbicide) in greenhouse and field trials. A 30% Sunspray 6E oil formulation containing DG mycelium (10 g), DG culture filtrate (70 ml), and 4.5 g of ammonium sulfate caused 88 to 100% injury on TSG, CG, SG, and TG in greenhouse trials. The injury resulted from disease as well as phytotoxicity of the culture filtrate, oil, and ammonium sulfate. An emulsion formulation composed of 30% Sunspray 6E oil and 70% DG culture filtrate amended with 2% (v/v) pelargonic acid killed SG 2 wk after application. DG formulations containing ammonium sulfate or pelargonic acid produced lower levels of injury when treated grasses were exposed to a 24-h dew period compared with those treated and not exposed to dew. Formulations containing DG mycelium, DG culture filtrate, and ammonium sulfate or pelargonic acid are effective and promising for control of weedy grasses. Further evaluations of these formulations under field conditions are justified.

Difficulties in chemically controlling large crabgrass in corn in South Africa have recently been attributed to the occurrence of naked crabgrass. In contrast to large crabgrass, naked crabgrass is not easily controlled with acetanilide herbicides. Critical periods of weed control (CPWC) for naked crabgrass in corn was determined in field studies during the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011 growing seasons at two separate localities for an early and late planting date of corn. Weed-free and weed–crop interference treatments of increasing duration were maintained at various crop growth stages in the presence of naked crabgrass. Biomass of naked crabgrass was determined as dry weight per square meter quadrant, which yielded 428 g m−2 at Potchefstroom and 594 g m−2 at Wesselsbron. An exponential regression model was used to determine the CPWC expressed as growing degree days after crop emergence, on the basis of an estimated 10% relative yield loss in corn. The onset and ending, as well as the duration of the CPWC, differed between seasons and localities. At 10% relative yield loss, the onset of the CPWC ranged between the two-leaf (V2) and six-leaf (V6) stages, and the ending between the 12-leaf (V12) stage and 2 wk after tasseling (T + 2). The duration of the CPWC ranged between 22 and 80 d for the respective planting dates, years, and localities. Yield losses ranged from 28 to 82% in the season-long weedy plots. The shifting of planting dates alone did not reduce yield losses since the effect of late infestations of naked crabgrass is significant. Naked crabgrass control from crop emergence is essential, followed by POST herbicide application during the critical period of weed control to lower the risk of corn yield losses.

Because of the increasing number of glyphosate-resistant weeds, alternate herbicide-resistant crops and herbicides with different modes of action are required to protect crop yield. Glufosinate is a broad-spectrum POST herbicide for weed control in glufosinate-resistant crops, including soybean. The objective of this study was to compare herbicide programs with glufosinate applied singly at late-POST (LPOST) or sequentially at early POST (EPOST) followed by (fb) LPOST applications and PRE herbicides fb EPOST/LPOST glufosinate alone or tank-mixed with acetochlor, pyroxasulfone, or S-metolachlor in glufosinate-resistant soybean. A field experiment was conducted at the South Central Agriculture Laboratory in Clay Center, NE, in 2012 and 2013. Glufosinate applied in a single LPOST or sequential EPOST fb LPOST application controlled common lambsquarters, common waterhemp, eastern black nightshade, green foxtail, large crabgrass, and velvetleaf ≤ 82% and resulted in a weed density of 6 to 10 plants m−2 by the end of the season. Flumioxazin-, saflufenacil-, or sulfentrazone-based premixes provided 84 to 99% control of broadleaf and grass weeds tested in this study at 15 d after PRE application and a subsequent LPOST application of glufosinate alone controlled broadleaf and grass weeds 69 to 93% at harvest, depending on the herbicide program and weed species being investigated. The PRE application of sulfentrazone plus metribuzin fb EPOST glufosinate tank-mixed with acetochlor, pyroxasulfone, or S-metolachlor controlled the tested broadleaf and grass weeds ≥ 90%, reduced density to ≤ 2 plants m−2, and reduced weed biomass to ≤ 10 g m−2 and produced soybean yields of ≥ 4,450 and 3,040 kg ha−1 in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Soybean injury was 0 to 20% from PRE or POST herbicides, or both and was inconsistent, but transient, during the 2-yr study, and it did not affect soybean yield. Sulfentrazone plus metribuzin applied PRE fb glufosinate EPOST tank-mixed with acetochlor, pyroxasulfone, or S-metolachlor provided the highest level of weed control throughout the growing season and increased soybean yield compared with a single LPOST or a sequential EPOST fb LPOST glufosinate application. Additionally, these herbicide programs provide four distinct mechanisms of action that constitute an effective weed-resistance management strategy in glufosinate-resistant soybean.

Annual bluegrass is a cosmopolitan, cool-season grass that adapts to different environmental conditions. It is one of the main weeds of turfgrass, and its control is mainly achieved through chemical and cultural practices, although little importance is given to the competitive ability of turfgrass species or cultivars. A field study was performed in northeastern Italy from October 2012 to June 2014 to evaluate the competitive ability of selected perennial ryegrass cultivars to suppress emergence and establishment of annual bluegrass seedlings. Two creeping perennial ryegrasses (‘CSI' and ‘PPG-PR171’) and two traditional cultivars (‘Azimuth' and ‘Presidio') were compared. In late autumn in both years, annual bluegrass was sown in a marked area (30 cm by 30 cm) in the turfgrass. Emerged seedlings were counted weekly, and emergence dynamics were modeled. In the second year, final density of annual bluegrass allowed to grow in turfgrass was also evaluated in summer. Results showed that both seedling emergence and density of annual bluegrass were significantly reduced by creeping perennial cultivars, supporting the hypothesis that these cultivars may reduce annual bluegrass establishment in turfgrass. Seedling emergence pattern of annual bluegrass did not differ in creeping and traditional cultivars of perennial ryegrass, suggesting the possibility of creating a general emergence model suitable in any turfgrass to help turfgrass managers in the control of this weed species.

Cotton gins in Arkansas, western Tennessee, and western Mississippi were sampled for weed seed contamination of gin trash in fall 2007. A total of 473 samples were collected, with 453 samples from Arkansas. The objectives of this research were to determine the weed species most frequently found in gin trash and determine what means gin operators are using to dispose of gin trash. There were 25 weed species found in the gin trash samples—11 grass and 14 broadleaf weeds. Grass and broadleaf weeds were present in 41.4 and 8.5% of the samples, respectively. The most frequently found species were large crabgrass (19.0%), barnyardgrass (14.0%), goosegrass (12.9%), red sprangletop (8.2%) and Palmer amaranth (4.2%). Viable seeds of barnyardgrass, large crabgrass, Palmer amaranth, and prickly sida were present in the surface layer (0- to 25-cm depth) of gin trash piles after 1 yr of composting. Viable Palmer amaranth seeds were present in the surface layer of gin trash piles after 2 yr of composting, but no germinable seeds were found deeper than 25 cm following 1 yr of composting. Gin trash disposal involved application of the material to crop fields during the fall or winter months; composting followed by application of the compost as mulch or a soil amendment to gardens, flower beds, or crop fields; use as cattle feed; and coverage for landfills to reduce erosion and encourage growth of vegetation. Because of the demonstrated potential for weed seed dispersal via gin trash, including composted material, development of technologies to ensure disposal of a gin-trash product free of viable weed seed are justified.

Noninversion tillage with tine- or disc-based cultivations prior to crop establishment is the most common way of reducing tillage for arable cropping systems with small grain cereals, oilseed rape, and maize in Europe. However, new regulations on pesticide use might hinder further expansion of reduced-tillage systems. European agriculture is asked to become less dependent on pesticides and promote crop protection programs based on integrated pest management (IPM) principles. Conventional noninversion tillage systems rely entirely on the availability of glyphosate products, and herbicide consumption is mostly higher compared to plow-based cropping systems. Annual grass weeds and catchweed bedstraw often constitute the principal weed problems in noninversion tillage systems, and crop rotations concurrently have very high proportions of winter cereals. There is a need to redesign cropping systems to allow for more diversification of the crop rotations to combat these weed problems with less herbicide input. Cover crops, stubble management strategies, and tactics that strengthen crop growth relative to weed growth are also seen as important components in future IPM systems, but their impact in noninversion tillage systems needs validation. Direct mechanical weed control methods based on rotating weeding devices such as rotary hoes could become useful in reduced-tillage systems where more crop residues and less workable soils are more prevalent, but further development is needed for effective application. Owing to the frequent use of glyphosate in reduced-tillage systems, perennial weeds are not particularly problematic. However, results from organic cropping systems clearly reveal that desisting from glyphosate use inevitably leads to more problems with perennials, which need to be addressed in future research.