Application of glyphosate in combination with planting soybeans in narrow rows is an effective practice for management of weeds in glyphosate-resistant soybean. Farmers in Michigan reported higher levels of Sclerotinia stem rot (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) in fields of glyphosate-resistant soybean. Studies were conducted to determine if glyphosate or shading reduced the defense response of glyphosate-resistant soybean to S. sclerotiorum. Glyphosate caused shikimate accumulation in glyphosate-susceptible cultivar GL2415 but not in glyphosate-resistant cultivar GL2600RR. Ethylacetate extracts containing the plant defense compound glyceollin inhibited S. sclerotiorum hyphae in a rate-dependent manner. Glyphosate had no effect on either baseline or induced levels of glyceollin in glyphosate-resistant soybean, indicating that glyphosate did not impair plant defense responses to S. sclerotiorum. Shade levels of 60 and 90% in the greenhouse did not inhibit the induction of glyceollin synthesis. Glyphosate herbicide and shading did not affect the glyphosate-resistant soybean defense response to S. sclerotiorum.

A weed emergence prediction model, WeedCast, was used as a decision aid to schedule potato cultivation with and without herbicides at Wooster, OH, USA; Charlottetown, PE, Canada; and Fargo, ND, USA, from 2001 to 2003. Studies were laid out in a split-plot design with herbicides (±) forming the main plots and cultivation timing as subplots. Cultivation was done at 15, 30, or 60% of predicted weed emergence. Subplots were either left unsprayed or treated with metolachlor + metribuzin at 1.68 + 0.5 kg ai ha−1 and only cultivated at predetermined timing. Cultivation timing was based on predicted emergence of common lambsquarters at Wooster and Charlottetown, whereas eastern black nightshade was the indicator weed at Fargo. Weed control for the different cultivation timings varied among sites and years and was consistently better in plots where herbicides were followed by cultivation. Cultivation alone resulted in poor weed control and significantly reduced potato tuber yield compared with those in plots where weed control also included herbicides. Use of herbicides followed by cultivation and hilling increased tuber yield by 4.6, 4.3, and 8.7 t ha−1, when cultivations were done at 15, 30, and 60% of predicted weed emergence, respectively, and 12.2 t ha−1 for hilled-only plots. The average potato yield increase at Charlottetown was 9.7, 5.9, 6.9, and 7.4 t ha−1 for hilled-only plots and for hilled after cultivations at 15, 30, and 60% of predicted weed emergence with herbicides, respectively. There was no apparent pattern for treatment effects at Fargo, and the potato tuber yields were greatly reduced mainly because of excessive precipitation during potato establishment. Use of WeedCast as a decision-aid tool could be an asset in determining when to do the first and subsequent cultivations. It may work best for growers who use cultivations in potato to remove weeds that were not controlled by herbicides.

In order to select efficient and competitive glufosinate-degrading bacteria, two soils which had been treated with glufosinate annually for more than 5 yr were screened. Three strains tolerant to this herbicide were identified by 16S rDNA analysis as Burkholderia sacchari, Serratia marcescens, and Pseudomonas psychrotolerans. In addition, a moderately tolerant strain, P. citronellolis, was isolated from a soil which had received glufosinate treatment for only 6 mo. In culture medium containing high concentration of glufosinate, the former three strains showed significant ability to degrade this glutamine synthetase inhibitor, suggesting that glufosinate-degrading bacteria would be readily found in soils after a long-term induction or selection. A subsequent biodegradation experiment showed that 30 and 50% of glufosinate was degraded 7 and 21 d after treatment (DAT), respectively, in sterilized soils inoculated with the above-mentioned three tolerant strains. While more than 30% of the glufosinate in nonsterilized soils was degraded 7 DAT by the indigenous edaphic microbes, inoculation with the three selected strains enhanced glufosinate degradation to nearly 50%. A study on the competition from edaphic microorganisms in soils by polymerase chain reaction denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analysis revealed that within 21 d after inoculation (DAI), the propagation of B. sacchari and P. psychrotolerans was not affected, whereas that of the less tolerant P. citronellolis was inhibited. This observation suggests that a long-term herbicide exposure is a promotive factor in generating bacterial strains having high degradation efficiency and showing vigorous propagation under the competition pressure arising from indigenous microbes.

A 2-year field study was conducted to determine the effects of periodic removal of topgrowth on tuber production and persistence of sago pondweed (Potamogeton pectinatus L.) in an irrigation canal. Plots were treated at 1, 2, and 4-week intervals throughout the irrigation season with aromatic solvent to kill the topgrowth. The tuber population was determined before the treatments began and at the end of each season. At the end of the first season, the number of tubers was reduced 78, 87, and 54% in the plots treated at 1, 2, and 4-week intervals, respectively. After two seasons, the number of tubers was reduced 91, 81, and 80%, respectively. All treatments controlled sago pondweed topgrowth effectively, but none eliminated the tubers completely.

Edamame, a specialty food-grade soybean popular among health-conscious consumers, is growing in popularity worldwide. Despite a well-developed soybean industry, most edamame consumed in the United States is imported from Asia. Considerable interest exists in growing edamame domestically; however, weed interference is a major problem, and until recently, only a single herbicide was registered for use on the crop. The objectives of this work were (1) to compare effectiveness of weed management treatments that utilize herbicides currently registered for use on edamame or that may be registered in the near future, (2) to determine the significance of edamame cultivar on performance of these treatments, and (3) to identify potential relationships between the crop and weed. Ten different weed management treatments were tested in three edamame cultivars over a 3-yr period. All weed management treatments increased marketable pod yield relative to the nontreated control, but only treatments with saflufenacil or S-metolachlor combinations were comparable to the hand-weeded weed-free treatment. Of the treatments studied, S-metolachlor followed by imazamox was among the greatest yielding, had the least weed density and biomass, and did not reduce crop population density. Also, cultivars differed in their weed-suppressive ability. Path analysis indicated certain relationships were consistent across cultivars, such as weed population density having a direct negative association with crop biomass; however, other edamame–weed interactions were not identical across cultivars. Although more improvements are needed, the vegetable industry is beginning to have nascent weed management options in edamame, which will likely reduce reliance on hand weeding and result in crop-production costs that are more competitive in the global market.

The parasitic plant purple witchweed [Striga hermonthica (Delile) Benth.] poses a serious threat to cereal production in sub-Saharan Africa. Under natural infestation, the wild pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] line 29Aw demonstrates resistance against the parasite, but the mechanism of its resistance is unknown. Striga resistance can be due to: (1) low induction of Striga germination (pre-attachment resistance) or (2) inhibition of parasite attachment and development (post-attachment resistance). Germination bioassays and root chamber (rhizotron) resistance-screening assays were used to determine the extent of pre- and post-attachment Striga resistance in 29Aw compared with the Striga-susceptible ‘SOSAT-C88-P10’ variety. Regarding pre-attachment resistance, 29Aw stimulated 10-fold less Striga seed germination at a maximum germination distance of 7.96 ± 2.75 mm from the host root compared with 35.94 ± 2.88 mm in SOSAT-C88-P10. Post-attachment resistance revealed 10- to 19-fold fewer and 2.5-fold shorter Striga seedlings with 28-fold less biomass growing on 29Aw compared with SOSAT-C88-P10. Microscopic analysis showed that Striga penetration in 29Aw was blocked at the endodermal and cortical levels. Post-attachment resistance in 29Aw was further supported by fewer (22%) Striga–host vascular connections in 29Aw compared with 79% in SOSAT-C88-P10. Together, these findings demonstrate that 29Aw harbors both pre- and post-attachment resistance mechanisms against S. hermonthica.

The evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is a major concern in the corn- and soybean-producing Pampas region of Argentina, where growers predominantly plant glyphosate-resistant crop varieties and depend heavily on glyphosate for weed control. Currently, 16 weed species in Argentina are resistant to one or more of three different herbicide mechanisms of action, and resistant weed populations continue to increase, posing a serious threat to agricultural production. Implementation of integrated weed management to address herbicide resistance faces significant barriers in Argentina, especially current land ownership and rental patterns in the Pampas. More than 60% of Pampas cropland is rented to tenants for periods that rarely exceed 1 yr, resulting in crop rotation being largely abandoned, and crop export taxes and quotas have further discouraged wheat and corn production in favor of continuous soybean production. In this paper we discuss ways to facilitate new approaches to weed management in Argentina, including legal and economic reforms and the formation of a national committee of stakeholders from public and private agricultural sectors.

Field studies were conducted to determine the effect of emergence timing on the fitness of the next generation as represented by seed mass, maturation, and afterripening of common waterhemp cohorts. Five natural cohorts were documented both in 2009 and 2010. Different maternal environments resulting from varied cohort emergence timings did not influence seed maturation time and seed mass, but had an inconsistent effect on seed afterripening. Here are our major findings. (1) Waterhemp cohorts needed similar amounts of time to generate viable seeds (20 to 27 d after flower initiation) and the seeds produced were of similar size (2.0 to 2.35 g), and (2) waterhemp has strong primary dormancy that may be released within 4 mo during the afterripening process, depending on the dormancy level. Seeds produced by later cohorts were more sensitive to the afterripening period, suggesting more flexibility in life strategy. Seeds from the 2009 cohorts had similar afterripening patterns; newly harvested seeds had strong primary dormancy (<10% germination), which was gradually released during dry storage and reached the maximum germination (>80%) rate 4 mo after harvest (MAH). However, germination then dropped to 40% 6 and 8 MAH, suggesting the induction of secondary seed dormancy. Strong primary dormancy at harvest for 2010 seeds was sustained in dry afterripening, perhaps because of higher dormancy level, which was the result of less-favorable parental environments brought by 10 to 30 times higher population densities and 2.5 to 5 times higher accumulative precipitation than in 2009 (see Wu and Owen 2014). We also tested the soil seed-bank seed population densities for each waterhemp cohort and found that early cohorts greatly influenced the seed population densities at the soil surface level and the turnover rate of the soil seed bank. Results from this research will provide insights into better management of waterhemp, targeting a better understanding of the seed bank.

Dithiopyr and dinitroanilines are preemergence-applied, mitotic-inhibiting herbicides used to control goosegrass [Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.] in turfgrass. A suspected resistant E. indica population was collected from a golf course putting green and was evaluated for possible resistance to dithiopyr and prodiamine. After dose–response evaluation, the α-tubulin gene was sequenced for known target-site mutations that have been reported to confer resistance to mitotic-inhibiting herbicides. A mutation was discovered that resulted in an amino acid substitution at position 136 from leucine to phenylalanine (Leu-136-Phe). Previous research has indicated that Leu-136-Phe does confer resistance to dinitroaniline herbicides. The level of resistance indicated by regression models and I50 values indicates that there is 54.1-, 4.7-, >100-, and >100-fold resistance to dithiopyr, prodiamine, pendimethalin, and oryzalin, respectively, when compared with the susceptible population based on seedling emergence response and 88.4-, 7.8-, >100-, and >100-fold resistance to dithiopyr, prodiamine, pendimethalin, and oryzalin, respectively, when compared with the susceptible population based on biomass reduction response. This is the first report of less resistance to prodiamine compared with pendimethalin or oryzalin due to a target-site α-tubulin mutation and the first report of a target-site α-tubulin mutation associated with dithiopyr resistance.

South African lovegrass (Eragrostis plana Nees) is the most important weed of native pastures in southern Brazil. Management options are limited under water-stress conditions, and glyphosate has been the main tool for control. This study compared four salts of glyphosate applied at three growth stages and determined the glyphosate tolerance level. In addition, the performance of ammonium sulfate (AMS) under two soil moisture conditions (50% and 100% of water-holding capacity) and the effect of AMS on absorption and translocation of radiolabeled [14C]glyphosate were evaluated. The potassium salt of glyphosate had the fastest activity across growth stages of E. plana, which is more vulnerable to glyphosate at the panicle initiation stage. Isopropylamine salt was the slowest-acting glyphosate formulation. Younger plants were typically more easily controlled than older plants at the full tillering stage. The addition of AMS increased the level of control of drought-stressed E. plana compared with glyphosate alone by increasing translocation out of the treated leaf and consequently increasing the concentration of glyphosate in the primary culm. These data can be used to plan an effective management program for E. plana that takes into account the developmental stage of desired pasture grass species.

Listed on the basis of visual ratings in Sept. 1961, in the order of increasing toxicity to Kentucky bluegrass sown in April, 1961, and treated May 31 and June 6, the herbicides were 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalic acid (DCPA), amine methylarsonate, diphenylacetonitrile (diphenatrile), calcium propylarsonate, disodium monomethylarsonate (DMA), N,N-dipropyl-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine (dipropalin), calcium arsenate, O-(2,4-dichlorophenyl) O-methyl isopropylphosphoramidothioate (DMPA), polychlorodicyclopentadiene isomers, and alpha, alpha, alpha-trifluro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin). All herbicides except DCPA and DMPA (liquid) persisted after two years of use until March 1963 in the top 2 inches of soil.

14C-labeled 4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(ethylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one (ethiozin)3 was metabolized more rapidly in tolerant than in sensitive wheat, Triticum aestivum L., cultivars. After a 6-h herbicidal pulse, the main metabolites were conjugates at all incubation times up to 48 h. The levels of deaminated and dethioethylated metabolites never exceeded 4% of the extractable radioactivity and also did not differ between tolerant and sensitive plants. On the contrary, 92% of the extractable radioactivity was in conjugates after 24 h in the leaves of tolerant plants compared to 25% in the leaves of sensitive plants. The differently sensitive wheat cultivars conjugated metribuzin, 4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one, at about half the rate that was observed with ethiozin. This finding may explain the fact that most wheat cultivars are more sensitive to metribuzin compared with ethiozin.

The uptake, translocation, and metabolism of 14C-MSMA in organic arsenical-resistant (R) and -susceptible (S) Mississippi biotypes of common cocklebur were investigated. The two biotypes did not differ significantly with respect to either uptake, total translocation, or translocation pattern of 14C-MSMA plus its radiolabeled metabolites regardless of whether plants were pre-treated with 1.12 kg ai ha−1 of unlabeled MSMA or treated only with radiolabeled material. Absorption of 14C-MSMA was greater in unlabeled MSMA-pretreated plants than untreated plants, whereas the percent of total absorbed 14C-MSMA that was translocated out of the 14C-MSMA-treated leaf was almost the same in MSMA-pretreated and untreated plants. Qualitative detection of 14C-MSMA distribution by autoradiographs confirmed quantitative results obtained with radioassays. Herbicide metabolism in the 14C-treated leaf showed that MSMA was not readily broken down in both biotypes and the extractable 14C was the same. Uptake, translocation, and metabolic degradation were not involved in the mechanism of resistance of the resistant-Mississippi biotype common cocklebur to MSMA.

The dissipation and detoxification of 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba), 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram), and 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid (2,3,6-TBA) was followed for 6 years at three locations across Nebraska. Herbicide persistence was determined by growing field bioassays of field beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Picloram showed the greatest soil persistence, 2,3,6-TBA was intermediate, and dicamba showed the least persistence across Nebraska. The residual phytotoxicity of picloram in soil was not necessarily dependent upon rainfall but was greatest in the fine textured soil with higher organic matter content.

Roots or shoots of oats (Avena sativa L. ‘Dal’) and peas (Pisum sativum L. ‘Early Perfection’) were exposed to vapors of 14C-labeled benefin (N-butyl-N-ethyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine), dinitramine (N4,N4-diethyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-3,5-dinitrotoluene-2,4-diamine), fluchloralin [N-(2-chloroethyl)-2,6 dinitro-N-propyl-4-(trifluoromethyl)aniline], oryzalin (3,5-dinitro-N4,N4-dipropylsulfanilamide), profluralin [N-(cyclopropylmethyl)-α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N-propyl-p-toluidine], and trifluralin (α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine). All of the dinitroaniline herbicides except oryzalin were absorbed by roots and shoots of germinating oats and peas. Some root-shoot translocation of the herbicides was observed in peas, but no shoot-root transport could be detected in either peas or oats. In peas, 14C from root-absorbed benefin, fluchloralin, profluralin and trifluralin was detected in shoots, and 14C from benefin and trifluralin was detected in cotyledons. In general, vapor absorption was correlated with rates of herbicide volatilization.

Tribenuron antagonized diclofop control of wild oat in greenhouse studies. Wild oat shoot fresh weight was reduced 79% when plants were treated with diclofop at 1.12 kg ha−1, but only 46% when treated with diclofop at 1.12 kg ha−1plus tribenuron at 18 g ha−1. Increasing diclofop rate increased control of wild oat but did not overcome the antagonism. Separating the applications of diclofop and tribenuron by as little as 12 s reduced the antagonism by 40%, indicating the importance of close proximity of the two herbicides on the leaf surface for the antagonistic response. The inhibitory effect of diclofop at its target site (acetylCoA carboxylase) was not reduced by tribenuron. Metabolism of 14C-diclofop by wild oat leaves was not altered quantitatively or qualitatively by tribenuron. Tribenuron had no effect on spray retention or absorption of 14C-diclofop by wild oat leaves, and only slightly decreased the total amount of radiolabel translocated out of the treated zone on the leaf. However, tribenuron decreased basipetal translocation of diclofop from the treated zone by approximately 20%. The ability of tribenuron to reduce basipetal translocation of diclofop to meristematic regions of wild oat may be a factor in antagonism.

The concentrations of 2,4,5-T [(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid] in four species of vegetation varied from 11 to 115 ppmw immediately after application at 2.24 kg/ha but were less than 0.5 ppmw after 1 yr. The 2,4,5-T level in forest floor declined 90% during the first 6 months after application and less than 0.02 kg/ha remained after 1 yr. There was little leaching of 2,4,5-T from the forest floor into soil and no residues were found deeper than 15 cm. Maximum soil residues did not exceed 0.1 ppmw. Residue levels and dissipation rates of 2,4,5-T were similar after one and two successive annual applications.

Time of coleorhiza emergence through the per carp of sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ‘AKS 614′] germinated on blotters in the dark was not affected by 1, 5, or 25 ppmw of alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl) acetanilide], by 2% w/w 1,8-naphthalic anhydride (hereafter referred to as NA) seed treatment, or their combinations. Coleoptile emergence was delayed slightly by NA alone and in combination with alachlor, but not by alachlor alone. Emergence of the primary leaf from the coleoptile was inhibited by alachlor treatments in the presence of NA and even more so in its absence. Various degrees of leaf distortion resulted when plants not exhibiting leaf emergence were placed in light. Severity of distortion was less with 1 ppmw of alachlor than with 5 ppmw, and the alachlor-induced distortion was less when in combination with 150 ppmw of NA. After 4 weeks the primary leaves were still distorted, but subsequent emerging leaves were normal in all treatments. More complete emergence and unrolling of the primary leaf were observed when terminal segments (3.5 cm long, including the coleoptile and part of the first internode) from plants grown in the presence of 150 ppmw of NA were vacuum infiltrated with 15, 25, and 50 ppmw of alachlor than in the controls. From these results we conclude that the protective action of alachlor is of a physiological nature and not one of physical deactivation of the herbicide.

Research was conducted from 1993 through 1995 to evaluate barnyardgrass control, rice yield, and estimated economic return with POST applications of propanil or propanil + molinate applied alone or with quinclorac. Herbicides were applied under a variety of water management practices and environmental conditions at rates ranging from 1.1 to 3.4, 1.7 to 5.6, and 0.17 to 0.40 kg ai ha−1 for propanil, propanil + molinate, and quinclorac, respectively. Reduced-rate combinations of propanil or propanil + molinate with reduced rates of quinclorac controlled small, actively growing barnyardgrass and provided yields and estimated economic returns similar to combinations of these herbicides at higher rates when irrigated. When herbicides were applied to larger barnyardgrass, propanil + molinate at 5.6 kg ha−1 was more effective than propanil at 3.4 kg ha−1 or quinclorac at 0.40 kg ha−1 applied alone. Propanil + molinate applied with quinclorac at 0.28 or 0.40 kg ha−1 controlled barnyardgrass more effectively and provided higher yields and greater estimated economic returns than propanil at 3.4 kg ha−1, propanil + molinate at 5.6 kg ha−1, quinclorac at 0.17, 0.28, or 0.40 kg ha−1, or combinations of propanil and quinclorac.

Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L. ‘Parade’, ‘Adelphi’, ‘Glade’, and ‘Rugby’ # POAPR) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ‘Kentucky 31’ # FESAR) were treated in field experiments with chlorsulfuron {2-chloro-N-[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino] carbonyl] benzenesulfonamide}. The objectives of the two experiments were to determine if this herbicide has the potential to be used for selective control of tall fescue in Kentucky bluegrass turf. Chlorsulfuron treatments included single rates of 0, 18, 35, 71, 141, 212, and 282 g ai/ha and split rates, applied 14 days apart, of 18 + 18, 35 + 35, 71 + 71, 141 + 141, and 212 + 212 g/ha. Clipping weights and turfgrass quality ratings were taken in both experiments. Kentucky bluegrass showed a higher tolerance to the chemical, with no decrease in turf quality at the highest single and split application rates in both experiments. However, as the chlorsulfuron rate increased, clipping weight decreased. Tall fescue showed a low tolerance to the chemical and was controlled at single rates of 141 g/ha and split rates of 141 + 141 g/ha and greater. Although the tall fescue recovered from damage at single rates of 71 g/ha and split rates of 71 + 71 g/ha, severe growth inhibition and discoloration of aboveground tissue occurred at the lower rates. Twelve months after the first chlorsulfuron was applied in each experiment, glyphosate [isopropylamine salt of N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] was sprayed over the plots to kill all existing plant material, and Kentucky bluegrass was seeded into the plots 2 weeks later at the rate of 0.75 kg/100 m2. There was no inhibition of bluegrass seed germination at any of the rates of chlorsulfuron.