Herbicide tests conducted over a period of 3 years indicated that 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-l,l-dimethylurea (diuron) at 2.5 lb/A preemergence, or a,a,a-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine (trifluralin) at 2.0 lb/A preemergence, incorporated, are safe and effective herbicides for weed control in gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflorus). Applications of dimethylamine salt of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) applied as directed sprays at rates of 0.5 to 1.0 lb/A prior to spiking controlled late season weeds without apparent injury to the plants.

Experiments were conducted to determine the influence of water depth, fall flooding, and burial depth on the development of common waterplantain (Alisma triviale Pursh. # ALSPA) in wild rice (Zizania palustris L.). The optimum water depths for common waterplantain from corms were 20 cm when grown outside in submerged pots at St. Paul and 2 and 15 cm when grown in a sloping field at Grand Rapids. Growth of common waterplantain from seeds was maximum at the lowest water depths (2 to 7 cm) at both locations. Wild rice dry weight and seed yield in the same experiments were maximum at the 20- and 30-cm water depths at St. Paul and the 15- and 28-cm depths at Grand Rapids. The increased wild rice seed yield and dry weight at these depths was related to increased tiller production. Wild rice yield was similar at all water depths at Grand Rapids when grown with common waterplantain from corms at a density of 11 plants/m2. Water depths that decreased the effect of common waterplantain interference with wild rice, reduced wild rice yield. Establishment of common waterplantain from corms was maximum at the 5- and 15-cm depths and was severely reduced at the 0- and 30-cm soil depths in soils not flooded in the fall but flooded in the spring. Fall flooding killed all corms regardless of burial depth. Corm mortality under fall-flooded conditions may be due to the effects of ice-encasement.

Western ironweed (Vernonia baldwini Torr.) seedlings emerge from an exalbuminous achene. By 6 days after germination, a cortical collar was discernible between the hypocotyl and root. A pair of lateral buds arose exogenously from the outer two to three layers of this zone through dedifferentiation of cortical parenchyma. Sprouting of lateral buds could be stimulated in a few seedlings by 15 days after germination if they were clipped between the cotyledons and the hypocotyl-root transition zone. One of the seedling buds could be activated by top removal up to 40 days after germination when both could be stimulated to sprout. Ability to form new stems vegetatively was reflected in rate of anatomical maturity of the seedling buds.

Selective control of red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed fields was obtained with 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (dicamba), 7-oxabicyclo(2.2.1)-heptane-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (endothall), 3-amino-2,5-dichlorobenzoic acid (amiben), 2,3,6-trichlorophenylacetic acid (fenac), and 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid (2,3,6-TBA). Kentucky bluegrass seed yields and germination were not significantly reduced by application of any of the herbicides in the fall even though rates higher than necessary for red sorrel control were used. Application of dicamba in the spring at more than 1/2 lb/A reduced Kentucky bluegrass seed yields and germination. Endothall reduced seed yields when applied in the spring at 4 or 5 lb/A.

The chloro-substituted benzoic acids discussed in this paper have been evaluated experimentally as soil sterilizing herbicides for field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) control at the Ft. Hays Experiment Station since 1955. The value of soil sterilization in a perennial weed control program in the Great Plains region is evidenced by recommendations made by several state experiment stations. Prior to 1950, most semi-permanent soil sterilization was accomplished with such chemicals as sodium chlorate, boron compounds, and arsenicals. These compounds continue to be important even though the poisonous qualities of arsenic compounds and the hazards of handling sodium chlorate are well recognized.

Reliable estimates of weed fecundity require determination under ranges of management practices such as differing crops and tillage systems. We measured components of reproductive output per plant (numbers of primary tillers, panicles, and seeds; and sizes of panicles) in three emergence cohorts of green foxtail and yellow foxtail growing among corn and soybean in moldboard plow (MP), chisel plow (CP), ridge till (RT), spring disk (SD), and no till (NT). Differences in emergence between crops and foxtail Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 were 5, 0, and −7 d, respectively. In MP, Cohort 1 of green foxtail produced 2.3 primary tillers and 5.6 panicles per plant, and Cohort 1 of yellow foxtail produced 4.6 primary tillers and 9.0 panicles per plant. Panicle size was variable for both species across tillage systems, crops, and cohorts both years. Green foxtail plants produced the most seeds per plant (3,811) in NT corn, and cohorts did not vary greatly, whereas fecundity was highly variable across tillage systems and cohorts in soybean, where it averaged 3,240 (± 388) seeds per plant. Green foxtail seed number per plant were closely related to panicle numbers per plant for each year in corn (r 2 = 0.90) and soybean (r 2 = 0.78), and the relationship did not vary among tillage systems. Yellow foxtail seed number per plant was closely related to panicle number per plant, and it was specific for each tillage system in corn (r 2 = 0.60 to 0.85) and soybean (r 2 = 0.65 to 0.92). Estimates for vegetative and reproductive growth were more reliable for green foxtail than for yellow foxtail across tillage systems, crops, cohorts, and years.

Weed species develop resistance to herbicides through the repeated use of the same herbicide mechanism of action (MOA). Farmers often resort to different MOAs once a weed population has become resistant to the MOA that resulted in a resistant weed population. Delaying herbicide resistance is of great importance to growers due to the limited number of commercially available MOAs. Resistance may occur through monogenic or polygenic traits, and various academic and industrial modeling tools have been developed to help infer cause–effect from multiple interacting factors that may not be intuitive. This work explores various best management practices in delaying weed resistance, and we give details for monogenic and quantitative polygenic resistance models and investigate combinations of management strategies that lead to maximizing the product life span for a herbicide. Management practices under parametric uncertainty are provided to showcase how various practices can be used to extend lifetime product performance before resistance is manifest. Penalty functions associated with choosing a unique management strategy, based upon grower constraints, are the subject of a companion manuscript.

Two species of cleavers, Galium aparine L. and Galium spurium L., are known to inhabit croplands in western Canada. The latter is the more abundant of the two species. An increased abundance of these species over the most recent decades warrants a more comprehensive understanding of their developmental phenology and the cause of this increase. This study aimed to identify the base temperature and emergence characteristics of Galium spp. across different populations from western Canada. A thermal gradient plate experiment was conducted using five G. spurium populations collected from various Saskatchewan (SK) and Alberta (AB) locations. One known G. aparine reference sample was also included. A common garden experiment was conducted using the six Galium spp. populations to determine emergence characteristics. The base germination temperature identified was 2 C for all populations of G. spurium and 4 C for G. aparine. The median germination temperature for G. aparine was 8.34 C, whereas G. spurium had a similar median germination temperature of 6.5 C. Despite similar germination characteristics, the field emergence study revealed differences between populations’ initiation of emergence (150 to 250 growing degree days [GDD]) and time to 50% emergence (275 to 470 GDD) in spring. Highly variable emergence among years and populations within the year (200 to 600 GDD in 2013 and 100 to 200 GDD in 2014) were observed during fall, probably due to differences in moisture availability. Cumulative emergence among populations in fall was very low (1% to 9%) compared with spring emergence (2% to 17%). Overall, this study provides evidence for a low base temperature and differences in emergence periodicity among populations, both of which may be significant factors contributing to the seasonal success of this species.

Italian ryegrass populations investigated in this study were harvested in an alfalfa-based cropping system. In that system, the agronomic practices and chemical weed management, based on the use of aryloxyphenoxy-propionates herbicides (i.e., quizalofop ethyl ester), were optimized to obtain a dual seed–forage production. Five of seven populations tested were confirmed resistant to quizalofop ethyl ester with resistance indexes ranging from 4.5 to >209. Both target- and nontarget-site resistance mechanisms were most likely involved. Three allelic variants were detected (Ile-1781–Leu, Trp-2027–Cys, and Ile-2041–Asn) in four resistant populations, whereas no known mutations were found in one resistant population. The herbicide treatment on Italian ryegrass plants at different phenological stages suggested that to control regrowth, it is necessary to use two to fives times the herbicide dose suitable for younger plants. This situation is encountered in fields when Italian ryegrass plants need to be controlled to maximize the alfalfa seed production, and it is comparable to using a sublethal herbicide dose, leading to the selection of herbicide-resistant biotypes. In such a situation, the cropping system is not sustainable, and integrated weed management should be implemented to deplete the soil weed seed bank and prevent new weed seed production.

Goosegrass [Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn.] is one of the most problematic grassy weeds in the world. It is considered to be an important weed in summer fallows and crops grown in the eastern region of Australia. To examine the seed germination ecology of two populations (Gatton and Ingham) of E. indica and their response to postemergence herbicides in Australian conditions, experiments were carried out in the laboratory and screenhouse. Seedling survival, spike production, and plant biomass of both E. indica populations declined markedly with the application of postemergence herbicides such as butroxydim, clethodim, glufosinate, haloxyfop, and propaquizafop, whereas the application of paraquat failed to control the Ingham population. A dose–response study verified the presence of paraquat resistance in the Ingham population. In this regard, it was observed that the paraquat doses required to achieve a 50% reduction in survival and plant biomass were 27 and 21 times greater in the Ingham population compared to the Gatton population, respectively. Higher alternating temperatures (35/25 and 30/20 C) resulted in greater germination of both populations than lower alternating temperatures (20/10 and 25/15 C). At 20/10 C, the Ingham population failed to germinate; however, about 15% germination in the Gatton population was observed. At the lowest alternate temperature range (15/5 C), neither population germinated. The germination of both populations of E. indica was severely reduced under completely dark conditions compared with the alternating light/dark period. Germination was more tolerant of salt and water stress in the Ingham population compared with the Gatton population. Eleusine indica seedling emergence was comparable among populations, and the greatest emergence (83%) was observed for seeds buried at a depth of 2 cm but then declined dramatically, and no seedlings emerged from an 8-cm burial depth. The information acquired from this study could be used in developing effective management strategies for E. indica.

Two studies were conducted to ascertain the biologically effective dose (BED) of flumioxazin and pyroxasulfone for multiple herbicide–resistant (MHR) waterhemp [Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) Sauer] control in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in southwestern Ontario, Canada, during 2016 and 2017. In the flumioxazin study, the predicted flumioxazin doses for 50%, 80%, and 90% MHR A. tuberculatus control were 19, 37, and 59 g ai ha−1 at 2 wk after application (WAA) and 31, 83, and 151 g ai ha−1, respectively, at 12 WAA. The predicted flumioxazin doses to cause 5% and 10% soybean injury were 129 and 404 g ai ha−1, respectively, at 2 wk after emergence (WAE), and the predicted flumioxazin doses to obtain 50%, 80%, and 95% of the weed-free control plot’s yield were determined to be 3, 14, and 65 g ai ha−1, respectively. In the pyroxasulfone study, the predicted pyroxasulfone doses that provided 50%, 80%, and 90% MHR A. tuberculatus visible control were 25, 50, and 88 g ai ha−1 at 2 WAA and 41, 109, and 274 g ai ha−1 at 12 WAA, respectively. The dose of pyroxasulfone predicted for 80% reduction in MHR A. tuberculatus density was 117 g ai ha−1, and the doses of pyroxasulfone predicted for 80% and 90% reduction in A. tuberculatus biomass were 204 and 382 g ai ha−1, respectively. The predicted doses of pyroxasulfone that caused 5% and 10% injury in soybean at 2 WAE were 585 and 698 g ai ha−1, respectively. The predicted doses of pyroxasulfone required to obtain 50%, 80%, and 95% yield relative to the weed-free plots were 6, 24, and 112 g ai ha−1, respectively. Flumioxazin and pyroxasulfone applied preemergence at the appropriate doses provided early-season MHR A. tuberculatus control in soybean.

Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea Rosh.) is an emerging weed of California rice (Oryza sativa L.) that has potential to cause large yield losses. Early detection of weedy rice in the field is ideal to effectively control and prevent the spread of this weed. However, it is difficult to differentiate weedy rice from cultivated rice during early growth stages due to the close genetic and phenotypic relatedness of cultivated rice and weedy rice. The objective of this study is to examine phenotypic variation in weedy rice biotypes from California and to identify traits that could be used to visually identify weedy rice infestations at early growth stages for effective management. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 using five phenotypically distinct biotypes of weedy rice found in California, along with diverse cultivated, weedy, and wild rice types in a randomized complete block design. We measured variation for 13 phenotypic traits associated with weedy rice and conducted principal component analysis and factor analysis to identify important weedy traits. Most weedy rice individuals within a biotype clustered together by phenotypic similarity. Pericarp color, hull color, chlorophyll content, grain length, plant height, leaf pubescence, collar color, and leaf sheath color account for most of the observed variation. California weedy rice biotypes are phenotypically distinct from wild rice and from weedy rice from the southern United States in their combinations of seed phenotypes and vegetative characteristics. In comparison with the locally grown temperate japonica cultivars, California weedy rice tends to be taller, with lower chlorophyll content and a red pericarp. Weedy rice biotypes vary in seed shattering and seed dormancy. For weedy rice management, plant height and chlorophyll content are distinct traits that could be used to differentiate weedy rice from the majority of cultivated rice varieties in California during vegetative stages of rice growth.

During the course of investigation of the activity of some organic compounds selected for potential herbicidal effects (5), many candidates appeared to have activity equal to that of the standard 2,4–dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4–D), while a few appeared to be more active. One of the latter was p–fluoro–o–toloxyacetic acid, which was first prepared by M. S. Newman (3).

Swainsona salsula is an unpalatable legume of Asiatic origin which spreads by seed and lateral roots and has become a problem in some poorly drained, marshy, or saline areas of several western states. Its growth characteristics indicate a high potential for establishment along stream banks, irrigation canals, wasteways, pastures, and meadows with high water tables and other poorly drained areas. Its aggressiveness results in its dominance on such areas. 2-(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)propionic acid (silvex), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, (2,4-D), or 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T) applied at 2 lb/A for 2 or more years in succession controlled swainsonpea satisfactorily on cropped land. 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid (2,3,6-TBA) was also effective.

Fifty-day-old jimsonweeds (Datura stramonium L.) were susceptible and tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) tolerant to soil-applied metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazin-5(4H)-one] at 0.25 and 0.50 kg/ha. Spray applications of 0.50 kg/ha metribuzin to jimsonweed foliage, or to both foliage and soil, reduced jimsonweed height growth 39 and 66%, respectively; whereas, tomato height was reduced 57 and 50% by the two placement methods, respectively. Metribuzin applied to a basal leaf appeared to move both basipetally and acropetally in jimsonweed, but only basipetally in tomato. Metribuzin applied to tomato leaves reduced growth 28% more when leaves had been abraded than when not abraded. Differential translocation appeared to be a major factor in selectivity. Directed sprays of metribuzin at 0.3 and 0.6 kg/ha on the lower 75% of jimsonweed leaves provided control in the field without injury to tomatoes.

Cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) control in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be difficult with existing selective herbicides. High phenotypic diversity within populations coupled with suboptimal herbicide application conditions leads to varying degrees of control with herbicide treatments. The following research focused on the consequence of low temperature on imazamox fate in S. cereale. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the number of warm-temperature days required for imazamox to control S. cereale. Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of imazamox was evaluated under warm (22/18C) and cold (4/4C) temperatures to identify changes to the fate of imazamox under different environmental conditions. In greenhouse conditions, more than 5 d of warm temperature following herbicide application was required to achieve 80% S. cereale mortality. Absorption of imazamox was reduced 20% when S. cereale was subjected to cold compared with warm temperatures. Only 10% of applied imazamox was moved from the treated leaf in continuous cool temperatures compared with greater than 60% in warm conditions. In cold conditions, imazamox content increased in all tested plant parts evaluated for the duration of the study, whereas in warm conditions, imazamox concentrations decreased in root and crown tissues after 3 d. Imazamox behavior was affected more by temperature than S. cereale growth stage. Secale cereale metabolism of imazamox was reduced, but not stopped in cold temperatures. After 6 d, only a 10% difference in intact imazamox remained between temperature treatments. In cold temperatures, reduced absorption and translocation, coupled with continued metabolism, allow plants to recover from an otherwise lethal imazamox treatment.

The effects of thirteen plant growth regulators and herbicides on glucose absorption, metabolism, and incorporation in pea root tissues were studied. Both indoleacetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA) caused no effects, while α-naphthalene-acetic acid (α-NAA) and β-naphthaleneacetic acid (β-NAA) caused an increase in catabolic and a decrease in anabolic processes, with the C-1 carbon undergoing the largest change. The absorption of glucose was also inhibited considerably by the synthetic auxins. The carbamates, isopropyl N-phenylcarbamate (IPC), n-Ethyl-N,N-di-n-propylthiolcarbamate (EPTC), and 3-(p-chlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (monuron) inhibited slightly the glucose absorption. All affected the catabolic process to a certain extent while only IPC caused a change in the anabolic process. Both 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid (TBA) and 2,3,5-triiodobenzoic acid (TIBA) decreased glucose absorption and increased glucose-1-C14 catabolism. TIBA also affected the anabolic process. Other herbicides, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (amitrole), maleic hydrazide (MH), 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (simazine), and 2,2-dichloropropionic acid (dalapon) caused varied degrees of inhibition to glucose absorption. Both simazine and dalapon increased C-1 catabolism and exerted no effect on the anabolic process. Only dalapon altered the catabolism of glucose-6-C14. Amitrole and MH decreased the over-all catabolic process with no effect on the pathway; both chemicals increased the anabolic process.

On rich alluvial soils where corn is the principal crop, Johnsongrass is the most serious perennial weed in Ohio at least as far north as the 40th parallel, and it has spread rapidly north of that area, even into southeastern Michigan. Many people still credit the statements of Piper (3), Vinall (6), and Bennett (1) that Johnsongrass behaves as an annual north of the 38th parallel. Pammel and King (2), to be sure, reported Johnsongrass as a perennial weed in southwestern Iowa in 1919 and the junior author's experience with it as a weed in Ohio, from the 40th parellel south, began in 1918. At Columbus these infestations have lived through winters in which the temperature was below 0° F for prolonged periods and the ground was frozen to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. There seems to be no hope for the eradication of Johnsongrass by mere freezing.