Replacement series studies were conducted under controlled conditions to determine the effect of phosphorus (P) rates and population densities on the competitiveness of smooth pigweed and common purslane with lettuce. Densities were 2, 4, and 8 plants per 113 cm2, whereas P rates were 0, 0.4, and 0.8 g PL−1 soil. A P-deficient Histosol (0.3 mg water-extractable P L−1 soil) was used. High P fertility enhanced the competitive ability of lettuce in smooth pigweed-lettuce mixtures. Smooth pigweed was not responsive to P rates. However, luxurious P consumption by smooth pigweed occurred, reducing the amount of the nutrient available for lettuce absorption. In common purslane-lettuce mixtures, the weed was responsive to P rates, increasing its competitive ability, whereas no increase in lettuce competitive ability was observed. Both weed species were more competitive than lettuce. Competition for P appears to be the main mechanism of common purslane interference on lettuce grown in low-P organic soils. Alternative fertilization strategies (i.e., banded applications) may reduce the effect of smooth pigweed on lettuce.

Weed seeds can require an exposure to light for induction of germination. Conducting tillage operations at night and thus preventing the photoinduction of germination has been proposed as a means to reduce weed emergence in agricultural systems. This research was conducted to evaluate night tillage as a weed management option and to determine which tillage operations have the greatest effect on light-mediated recruitment. Weed emergence was evaluated after conducting factorial combinations of day and night moldboard plowing and disking in the springtime from 1992 through 1995. The light environment during disking generally had a slightly greater effect on emergence than the light environment during plowing. Emergence of pigweed species and giant foxtail was, at most, 30 to 55% higher following day vs. night disking. Emergence of other weeds was not affected by the light environment during tillage. We conclude that night tillage may not be a viable approach to weed management due to insufficient reductions in weed emergence associated with night tillage and the high degree of variability in the recruitment response to light conditions during tillage.

Greenhouse studies were conducted with soil columns to determine the influence of rainfall amount, intensity, and time of application on the bioactivity of 0.07 kg ae ha−1 imazethapyr in three soils of New Jersey: the Berryland sand (BLS) (sandy, siliceous, mesic Typic Haplaquod), Aura sandy loam (ASL) (mixed, mesic Typic Hapludult), and Quakertown silt loam (QSIL) (mixed, mesic Typic Hapludult). The Brockman-Duke simulated rainfall machine was used for rainfall application and smooth pigweed as an imazethapyr bioactivity indicator. As rainfall amount increased from low to high (75 to 300 mm mo−1 equivalent) imazethapyr bioactivity declined significantly in BLS and ASL but was unaffected in QSIL. Rainfall intensity from 6 to 25 mm h−1 had no effect on imazethapyr bioactivity in the three soils. A delay in rainfall application up to 14 d after herbicide application significantly reduced the bioactivity of imazethapyr in BLS but had no effect in ASL and QSIL.

Field studies were conducted in five states at six locations from 2002 through 2003 to evaluate weed control and cotton response to early POST (EPOST), POST/POST-directed spray (PDS), and late POST-directed (LAYBY) systems using glyphosate-trimethylsulfonium salt (TM), s-metolachlor, trifloxysulfuron, prometryn, and MSMA. Early POST applications were made from mid May through mid June; POST/PDS applications were made from early June through mid July; and LAYBY applications were made from early July through mid August. Early season cotton injury and discoloration was minimal (< 1%) with all treatments; mid- and late-season injury was minimal (< 2%) except for trifloxysulfuron POST (11 and 9%, respectively). Annual grasses evaluated included barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, goosegrass, and large crabgrass. Broadleaf weeds evaluated included entireleaf morningglory, pitted morningglory, sicklepod, and smooth pigweed. For the EPOST, POST/PDS, and LAYBY applications, weeds were at cotyledon to 10 leaf, 1 to 25 leaf, and 2 to 25 leaf stage, respectively. Annual broadleaf and grass control was increased with the addition of s-metolachlor to glyphosate-TM EPOST systems (85 to 98% control) compared with glyphosate-TM EPOST alone (65 to 91% control), except for sicklepod control where equivalent control was observed. Annual grass control was greater with glyphosate-TM plus trifloxysulfuron PDS than with trifloxysulfuron POST or PDS, or trifloxysulfuron plus MSMA PDS (90 to 94% vs. 75 to 83% control). With few exceptions, broadleaf weed control was equivalent for trifloxysulfuron applied POST alone or PDS alone or in combination with glyphosate-TM PDS or MSMA PDS herbicide treatments (81 to 99% control). The addition of a LAYBY herbicide treatment increased broadleaf weed control by 11 to 36 percentage points compared with systems without a LAYBY. Cotton lint yield increased 420 kg/ha with the addition of s-metolachlor to glyphosate-TM EPOST treatments compared with systems without s-metolachlor EPOST. Cotton lint yield was increased 330 to 910 kg/ha with the addition of a POST herbicide treatment compared with systems without a POST/PDS treatment. The addition of a LAYBY herbicide treatment increased cotton lint yield by 440 kg/ha compared with systems without a LAYBY.

Field studies were conducted at four locations in North Carolina in 1998 and 1999 to evaluate the use of the Herbicide Application Decision Support System (HADSS™) for weed management in nontransgenic, bromoxynil-resistant, and glyphosate-resistant cotton. Weed management systems included trifluralin preplant incorporated (PPI) plus fluometuron preemergence (PRE) or no soil-applied herbicides. Postemergence (POST) options included bromoxynil, glyphosate, or pyrithiobac early POST (EPOST) followed by (fb) MSMA plus prometryn late postemergence–directed (LAYBY) or herbicide recommendations given by HADSS. Glyphosate-resistant systems provided control equivalent to or better than control provided by bromoxynil-resistant and nontransgenic systems for smooth pigweed, Palmer amaranth, large crabgrass, goosegrass, ivyleaf morningglory, and fall panicum. Trifluralin PPI fb fluometuron PRE fb HADSS POST provided equivalent or higher levels of weed control and yield than trifluralin PPI fb fluometuron PRE fb bromoxynil, glyphosate, or pyrithiobac EPOST fb MSMA plus prometryn LAYBY. The trifluralin PPI fb fluometuron PRE fb HADSS POST systems controlled large crabgrass at Goldsboro and fall panicum better than HADSS POST-only systems in nontransgenic cotton. Cotton yield and net returns in the glyphosate-resistant systems were always equal to or higher than the nontransgenic and bromoxynil-resistant systems. Net returns were higher for the soil-applied fb HADSS POST treatments in 8 of 12 comparisons with HADSS POST systems without soil-applied herbicides. Early-season weed interference reduced cotton lint yields and net returns in POST-only systems.

Additive experiments were performed to determine optimum densities for nematode-suppressive cover crops to extend the benefit from the cover crops by also using them for weed suppression. In a preliminary experiment in 2002, a range of cover-crop densities was evaluated in mixtures with smooth pigweed at 5 plants m−2. Smooth pigweed biomass accumulation was suppressed by cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean at the lowest cover-crop populations (38, 44, and 15 plants m−2, respectively). Based on these results, experiments were conducted in 2003 at two locations to examine the effects of lower cover-crop densities on a higher smooth pigweed population density of 15 plants m−2. Cowpea and velvetbean densities ranged from 10 to 50 plants m−2 and sunn hemp from 20 to 100 plants m−2. In 2003, cowpea density had no effect on smooth pigweed biomass. However, smooth pigweed biomass declined linearly by 51% as sunn hemp density increased to 100 plants m−2. Similarly, as velvetbean densities increased, smooth pigweed biomass decreased showing a linear response at one location and quadratic response at the second location. Maximum suppression of smooth pigweed biomass by velvetbean occurred at the highest cover-crop density (50 plants m−2). Excellent suppression of smooth pigweed at 5 plants m−2 or fewer will result in densities of 38, 44, and 15 plants m−2 of cowpea, sunn hemp, and velvetbean. However, with smooth pigweed at 15 plants m−2, optimum cover-crop densities were not obtained because no suppression was obtained with cowpea, and the lowest weed biomass with sunn hemp and velvetbean occurred with the highest densities used. Therefore, when high smooth pigweed densities are expected, sunn hemp and velvetbean should be used at densities greater than 100 and 50 plants m−2, respectively, and further study with higher densities will be needed to define optima.

Acetolactate synthase (ALS), a common enzyme in the biosynthesis of branched-chain amino acids, is a target for the sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, triazolopyrimidine, pyrimidinylthiobenzoate, and the sulfonylaminocarbonyltriazolinone classes of herbicides. Widespread resistance to the ALS-inhibiting herbicides has been attributed to single-base mutations in the ALS gene. The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), a recently developed method of mutation analysis, for the detection of three ALS mutations, Ala122Thr, Leu574Trp, and Ser653Thr, which confer herbicide resistance. The mutated variants of the ALS gene were isolated from herbicide-resistant biotypes of smooth pigweed and Powell amaranth using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were hybridized with a wild-type sample and subjected to DHPLC analysis. All three mutations could be detected using a modified High performance liquid chromatography system; however, the sensitivity of the method was strongly dependent on the melting temperature profile of the analyzed DNA fragment. Once the primers and the DHPLC conditions are optimized, the procedure is economical, rapid, and requires little sample preparation. Because of these favorable features, DHPLC can be used as an alternative to other commonly used mutation detection methods.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to assess the intensity of smooth pigweed and common purslane aboveground interference (AI) and belowground interference (BI) with lettuce and to determine primary mechanisms of interference of each species as affected by P fertility rates. Lettuce was transplanted in mixtures with either smooth pigweed or common purslane according to four partitioning regimes: no interference, full interference, BI, and AI. Soil used was low in P for optimum lettuce yields, therefore P was added at rates of 0, 0.4, and 0.8 grams of P per liter of soil. Shoot and root biomass and plant height were measured for each species, as well as P tissue content. The data obtained indicated that smooth pigweed interfered with lettuce primarily through light interception by its taller canopy. A secondary mechanism of interference was the absorption of P from the soil through luxury consumption, increasing the P tissue content without enhancing smooth pigweed biomass accumulation. In contrast, common purslane competed aggressively with lettuce for P. Because the weed grew taller than lettuce, light interception was a secondary interference factor.

This study examined pollen morphological variation among Amaranthus species and interspecific hybrids. Ten weedy Amaranthus species, a cultivated grain species, and several putative hybrids resulting from interspecific mating between common waterhemp and Palmer amaranth were grown in a greenhouse. Mature pollen was collected, viewed, and photographed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The pollen grains were spherical shaped with polypantoporate, or golf ball-like, aperture arrangement. Differences were observed between the monoecious and dioecious Amaranthus species. Pollen grains of the dioecious species had a greater number of apertures on the visible surface. One exception to these trends was the dioecious species, Palmer amaranth, whose pollen was similar to that of the monoecious species spiny amaranth. However, pollen grain diameters did not differ between the monoecious and dioecious plants. Significant differences also were noted between the pollen from the putative common waterhemp × Palmer amaranth hybrids and the parental-type pollen grains. Pollen of the hybrids was similar in size to the maternal parent but had an aperture number that was intermediate between parents. This indicates that pollen characteristics may be controlled by the female and that hybrids may be more prevalent than originally thought.

Field experiments were conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2003 to evaluate PRE applications of mesotrione at 150, 230, and 310 g ai/ha alone, and in mixtures with S-metolachlor at 1,070 g ai/ha and atrazine at 560 and 1,120 g ai/ha in corn. Corn injury was 11 to 18% with all treatments in 2002 when 3.2 cm of rainfall occurred within 10 d after PRE applications, but no injury was observed in 2001 and 2003 when rainfall was 0 and 1.1 cm within 10 d after PRE applications, respectively. Rainfall following PRE herbicide applications also influenced weed control, where weed control was generally poor with all herbicide treatments in 2001. Mesotrione at 150 g/ha controlled common lambsquarters and smooth pigweed at least 95% in 2002 and 2003, but control was 70% or less in 2001. PRE mesotrione at rates of 230 or 310 g/ha controlled common ragweed at least 83% in 2002 and 2003, but control exceeded 88% with mixtures of mesotrione at rates greater than 150 g/ha plus S-metolachlor plus atrazine at 560 g/ha. Morningglory species (ivyleaf morningglory, pitted morningglory, and tall morningglory) were not consistently controlled by mesotrione alone. In 2002 and 2003, mixtures of all mesotrione rates plus S-metolachlor plus atrazine at 1,120 g/ha controlled morningglory species at least 90%. Corn treated with mesotrione at any rate plus S-metolachlor plus atrazine at 1,120 g/ha consistently produced high yields. It is concluded that control with this three-way mixture would be most consistent with a minimum rate of mesotrione at 230 g/ha and atrazine at 1,120 g/ha.

Insufficient weed control is a major constraint to adoption of reduced-tillage practices for organic grain production. Tillage, cover crop management, and crop planting date are factors that influence emergence periodicity and growth potential of important weed species in these systems. We assessed two hairy vetch cover crop management practices, disk-kill and roll-kill, across a range of corn planting dates from early May to late June in three experiments in Beltsville, MD. Patterns of seed dormancy, emergence, and early weed growth were determined for overseeded populations of common ragweed, giant foxtail, and smooth pigweed, three important species in the Mid-Atlantic states that represent early to late emergence. Common ragweed emergence was lowest and dormancy was highest of the three species across all planting dates. Giant foxtail emergence was higher than the other species in roll-killed hairy vetch and included a significant number of seeds that germinated before rolling operations in late June. Smooth pigweed had the highest emergence and lowest dormancy in disk-killed hairy vetch in June. Individual giant foxtail plant weight was higher in roll-killed than disk-killed hairy vetch in 2 of 3 yr, whereas that of smooth pigweed plants was higher in disk-killed than roll-killed vetch in 2 of 3 yr. Giant foxtail was the dominant species in roll-killed hairy vetch (averaged 79% of total weed biomass at corn silking), probably because of early germination and establishment before rolling operations. Smooth pigweed was the dominant species in disk-killed hairy vetch at June planting dates (averaged 77% of total weed biomass), probably because of high growth rates under warm conditions in tilled soil. This research demonstrated that cover crop management practices and the timing of planting operations can shift the dominant species of weed communities in organic farming systems and must be considered in long-term weed management planning.

Greenhouse and field studies were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to compare the growth and development of one imidazolinone-susceptible (S) and four -resistant (R1, R2, R3, and R4) smooth pigweed biotypes under noncompetitive and competitive conditions. Under noncompetitive conditions in the greenhouse, S plants accumulated biomass, grew faster during early seedling development, and accumulated leaf area sooner than plants from R2, R3, and R4 biotypes. At various times during the experiment, S plants grew faster and more efficiently used leaf area to accumulate more biomass than did R2, R3, and R4 plants. In addition, leaves emerged faster on S plants than on R2, R3, and R4 plants. R3 and R4 biotypes had significantly less chlorophyll per gram of plant tissue compared with S. In contrast, most growth parameters measured for S and R1 plants were similar. Biomass production in the field under intra- and interbiotypic competition was similar for S and all R biotypes. Findings from noncompetitive growth studies in the field were inconclusive, and further investigations are warranted. On the basis of these findings, S displayed an advantage in vegetative growth and development over three out of four imidazolinone-resistant biotypes during the early stages of development, but competitive differences were not confirmed in the field.

As a follow-up to greenhouse studies, acetolactate synthase (ALS) (EC 4.1.3.18) was extracted from one imidazolinone (IMI)-susceptible (S) and three IMI-resistant (R1, R2, and R3) smooth pigweed populations, and activity was assayed in the presence of imazethapyr, chlorimuron, thifensulfuron, and pyrithiobac. ALS inhibitor concentrations, required to reduce enzyme activity by a specified percentage compared with the untreated control (I p), were determined for each herbicide using regression analysis, and resistance ratios were calculated from these values. An I 50 value of >35 μM imazethapyr was calculated for all R populations compared with a value of 3.4 μM for the S population. With chlorimuron, thifensulfuron, and pyrithiobac data sets, pairwise comparisons of regression coefficients were used to determine significant differences between regression lines. Using this technique, it was established that ALS from R3 was more sensitive than ALS from S to inhibition by chlorimuron and thifensulfuron. Also, ALS from R2 and R3 displayed increased sensitivity to pyrithiobac compared with ALS extracted from the S population. We have confirmed enzyme-level resistance to imazethapyr in all R populations and have documented negative cross-resistance in some R populations to ALS inhibitors other than imazethapyr.

Managing weeds in watermelon is challenging because of the limited availability of herbicides approved for use in this crop. Field experiments on efficacy and crop tolerance were conducted to determine the potential for halosulfuron use in watermelon in Georgia and North Carolina. Halosulfuron was applied PRE, early POST (EPOST; one-leaf watermelon), and late POST (LPOST; watermelon with 30-cm runners) at 26, 39, and 52 g ai/ha. Under weed-free conditions, PRE treatments did not injure watermelon. EPOST and LPOST treatments caused 45 and 34% injury 2 wk after treatment, respectively, averaged over halosulfuron rate. EPOST treatments reduced watermelon fruit number and total weight by 15 and 22%, respectively, and LPOST treatments reduced total fruit weight 12%. Halosulfuron PRE at 39 or 52 g/ha provided 94% or greater control of carpetweed, Palmer amaranth, and smooth pigweed. EPOST treatments controlled 84 and 88% of yellow nutsedge and smooth pigweed, respectively, but LPOST treatments controlled less than 83% of all weed species. Sequential applications of halosulfuron at 26 g/ha PRE and 26 g/ha LPOST controlled 89 to 99% of carpetweed, coffee senna, Palmer amaranth, smooth pigweed, and yellow nutsedge. Our data suggest growers can effectively use halosulfuron PRE in seeded watermelon. However, POST applications should be made only after watermelon has 30-cm runners and as a salvage spot treatment where previous weed control strategies have failed to provide adequate control.

Diclosulam is generally applied either PPI or PRE to peanut to control certain broadleaf weeds and suppress sedges. Research was conducted to determine efficacy and peanut response to POST applications of diclosulam at 9, 13, 18, and 27 g ai/ha. Efficacy of diclosulam was affected by application rate and environment. Common ragweed control ranged from 60 to 100%, entireleaf morningglory control from 56 to 100%, marestail control from 78 to 85%, and nodding spurge from 50 to 97%. Smooth pigweed and common lambsquarters were both controlled less than 35%. Diclosulam controlled yellow nutsedge and eclipta less than 70 and 80%, respectively. In separate experiments, diclosulam and imazapic controlled dogfennel more effectively than acifluorfen, bentazon, imazethapyr, lactofen, paraquat, or 2,4-DB. Visual estimates of peanut injury were 15% or less for all rates during both years. Peanut yield ranged from 3,340 to 3,730 kg/ha in 2002 and 5,230 to 5,820 kg/ha in 2003. Foliar injury and peanut pod yield were influenced by diclosulam rate, although no clear relation was evident. Cultivar and diclosulam rate did not interact with respect to visual injury or pod yield.

Experiments were conducted to identify acetolactate synthase (ALS, EC 2.2.1.6 [formerly EC 4.1.3.18]) mutation sites in eight biotypes of smooth pigweed and correlate these mutations with patterns of herbicide cross-resistance. Four herbicide-resistant smooth pigweed biotypes (R5, R6, R7, R8) collected from fields in Virginia, Delaware, and Maryland, showed a similar response to postemergence applications of the ALS-inhibitors imazethapyr, pyrithiobac, chlorimuron, thifensulfuron, and cloransulam. These R biotypes ranged from 261- to 537-fold resistant to imazethapyr and 29- to 88-fold resistant to pyrithiobac. The biotypes also had reduced sensitivity to chlorimuron and thifensulfuron of 2- to 14-fold and 10- to 25-fold, respectively, relative to a susceptible smooth pigweed biotype (S). Biotypes R6, R7, and R8 had reduced sensitivity of 3- to 10-fold to cloransulam relative to the S biotype, whereas R5 had increased sensitivity. All of these biotypes were found to have a serine to asparagine substitution at amino acid position 653, as numbered relative to the protein sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana. This stands in contrast to four other imidazolinone (IMI)-resistant smooth pigweed biotypes (R1, R2, R3, R4) that were collected from fields in Somerset County, Maryland. These biotypes were found to have an alanine to threonine substitution at position 122 of the ALS enzyme and were previously characterized at the whole-plant level with high-level resistance to IMI herbicides, increased sensitivity to pyrimidinylthiobenzoate and triazolopyrimidine sulfonanilide herbicides, and low to no cross-resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides.

Prior research indicated that analysis of nuclear DNA content by flow cytometry could be used to distinguish smooth pigweed × tall waterhemp hybrids when the parent lines are known. Flow cytometry was performed on nuclei isolated from several Illinois populations of smooth pigweed and tall waterhemp. The smooth pigweed and tall waterhemp analyzed had nonoverlapping 2C nuclear DNA content values, with mean values of 1.04 and 1.34 pg, respectively. The consistent difference in DNA content observed between the two species indicates that DNA content analysis can be used to distinguish their hybrid progeny in natural populations.

Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate weed control and cotton response from PRE herbicides followed by (fb) trifloxysulfuron POST. In the first study, trifloxysulfuron at 3.8, 7.5, or 15 gai/ha was applied POST with or without pendimethalin at 690 gai/ha applied PRE in a factorial treatment arrangement. Visible crop injury occurred after all trifloxysulfuron applications, but injury was not affected by application of pendimethalin PRE. Cotton injury was 19 to 22% 7 d after POST treatment (DAT) from trifloxysulfuron at 3.8 to 15 g/ha but was 5 to 12% 28 DAT. Trifloxysulfuron controlled smooth pigweed, common ragweed, and common cocklebur, but spurred anoda, large crabgrass, goosegrass, and stinkgrass were not controlled by trifloxysulfuron. Morningglory species (tall morningglory, ivyleaf morningglory, and pitted morningglory) control with trifloxysulfuron at 7.5 and 15 g/ha was at least 79%, whereas velvetleaf was controlled 66% over all years. In a second study, clomazone, pendimethalin, pendimethalin plus fluometuron, pyrithiobac, or flumioxazin were applied PRE fb 7.5 g/ha trifloxysulfuron POST. Cotton injury from PRE herbicides fb trifloxysulfuron was 13 to 39% 7 DAT. Spurred anoda control exceeded 54% only with treatments that included flumioxazin or pyrithiobac PRE. Common lambsquarters, common cocklebur, and morningglory species were controlled at least 75% with all treatments that included trifloxysulfuron POST, whereas pendimethalin and clomazone usually controlled annual grasses. In both studies, the application of pendimethalin PRE controlled annual grass species and improved control of smooth pigweed and common lambsquarters over that controlled by trifloxysulfuron POST without a PRE herbicide.

Field studies conducted at three locations in North Carolina in 1998 and 1999 evaluated crop tolerance, weed control, and yield with CGA-362622 alone and in combination with various weed management systems in transgenic and nontransgenic cotton systems. The herbicide systems used bromoxynil, CGA-362622, glyphosate, and pyrithiobac applied alone early postemergence (EPOST) or mixtures of CGA-362622 plus bromoxynil, glyphosate, or pyrithiobac applied EPOST. Trifluralin preplant incorporated followed by (fb) fluometuron preemergence (PRE) alone or fb a late POST–directed (LAYBY) treatment of prometryn plus MSMA controlled all the weed species present less than 90%. Herbicide systems that included soil-applied and LAYBY herbicides plus glyphosate EPOST or mixtures of CGA-362622 EPOST plus bromoxynil, glyphosate, or pyrithiobac controlled broadleaf signalgrass, entireleaf morningglory, large crabgrass, Palmer amaranth, prickly sida, sicklepod, and smooth pigweed at least 90%. Only cotton treated with these herbicide systems yielded equivalent to the weed-free check for each cultivar. Bromoxynil systems did not control Palmer amaranth and sicklepod, pyrithiobac systems did not control sicklepod, and CGA-362622 systems did not control prickly sida.

Germination of weed seed and time of emergence are greatly affected by temperature. The effects of temperature on seed germination of tumble pigweed, prostrate pigweed, smooth pigweed, Palmer amaranth, Powell amaranth, spiny amaranth, redroot pigweed, common waterhemp, and tall waterhemp were examined under constant and alternating temperature regimens at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 C. Averaged over all temperatures, alternating temperature regimens increased total germination of all species, except Powell amaranth, which germinated similarly under both constant and alternating temperatures. In addition, Powell amaranth seed exhibited the highest total germination across all temperatures compared with the other amaranth species. Prostrate pigweed seed demonstrated the lowest total germination. Optimal temperatures for maximum germination were greater than 20 C for all species, except prostrate pigweed. The alternating temperature regimen centering at 30 C was used to compare the germination rates of the nine species. Palmer amaranth and smooth pigweed attained complete germination on the first day. The rate of germination for these species was much more rapid than the other Amaranthus spp., which took 3 to 8 d to reach 50% germination.