Glufosinate controls glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, but growers struggle to make timely applications. XtendFlexTM cotton, resistant to dicamba, glufosinate, and glyphosate, may provide growers an option to control larger weeds. Palmer amaranth control and cotton growth, yield, and fiber quality were evaluated in a rescue situation created by delaying the first POST herbicide application. Treatments consisted of two POST applications of dicamba plus glufosinate, separated by 14 d, with the first application timely (0-d delay) or delayed 7, 14, 21, or 28 d. All treatments included a layby application of diuron plus MSMA. Palmer amaranth, 14 d after first POST, was controlled 99, 96, 89, 75, and 73% with 0-, 7-, 14-, 21-, or 28-d delays, respectively. Control increased following the second application, and the weed was controlled at least 94% following layby. Cotton yield decreased linearly as first POST application was delayed, with yield reductions ranging from 8 to 42% with 7- to 28-d delays. Delays in first POST application delayed cotton maturity but did not affect fiber quality.

In the mid-Atlantic region, there is increasing interest in the use of intercropping strategies to establish cover crops in corn cropping systems. However, intercropping may be limited by potential injury to cover crops from residual herbicide programs. Field experiments were conducted from 2013 to 2015 at Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York locations (n=8) to evaluate the effect of common residual corn herbicides on interseeded red clover and annual ryegrass. Cover crop establishment and response to herbicide treatments varied across sites and years. S-metolachlor, pyroxasulfone, pendimethalin, and dimethenamid-P reduced annual ryegrass biomass relative to the nontreated check, whereas annual ryegrass biomass in acetochlor treatments was no different compared with the nontreated check. The rank order of observed annual ryegrass biomass reduction among chloroacetamide herbicides was S-metolachlor>pyroxasulfone>dimethenamid-P>acetochlor. Annual ryegrass biomass was not reduced by any of the broadleaf control herbicides. Mesotrione reduced red clover biomass 80% compared to the nontreated check. No differences in red clover biomass were observed between saflufenacil, rimsulfuron and atrazine treatments compared to the nontreated check. Red clover was not reduced by any of the grass control herbicides. This research suggests that annual ryegrass and red clover can be successfully interseeded in silt loam soils of Pennsylvania following use of several shorter-lived residual corn herbicides, but further research is needed in areas with soil types other than silt loam or outside of the mid-Atlantic cropping region.

In the southeastern United States, growers often double-crop soft red winter wheat with peanut. In some areas, tobacco is also grown as a rotational crop. Pyrasulfotole is a residual POST-applied herbicide used in winter wheat, but information about its effects on rotational crops is limited. Winter wheat planted in autumn 2014 was treated at Feekes stage 1 or 2 with pyrasulfotole at 300 or 600 g ai ha−1. Wheat was terminated by glyphosate at Feekes stage 3 to 4. Peanut was planted via strip tillage, while tobacco was transplanted into prepared beds after minimal soil disturbance. Peanut exhibited no differences in stand establishment, growth, or yield, and tobacco stand, growth, and biomass yields were not different from the nontreated control for any pyrasulfotole rate or treatment timing.

Benzobicyclon is the first 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase-inhibiting herbicide pursued for commercial registration in U.S. rice production. A study was conducted in 2015 and 2016 to evaluate the response of eight rice cultivars to post-flood application timings of benzobicyclon at 494 g ai ha-1 (proposed 2X rate). ‘Caffey’, ‘CL151’, ‘CLXL745’, ‘Jupiter’, ‘LaKast’, ‘Mermentau’, ‘Roy J’, and ‘XL753’ were evaluated in response to applications of benzobicyclon. The highest level of visible injury was observed in LaKast at 7% in 2015. No visible injury was detected among other cultivars either year at 2 weeks after treatment. In 2015 and 2016, no more than a four-day delay to reach 50% heading occurred across all cultivars. Rough rice yield was not affected by any of the post-flood application timings of benzobicyclon. A second study was conducted in 2016 at three locations throughout Arkansas to investigate the tolerance of 19 tropical japonica (inbred and hybrid) and two indica inbred cultivars to a premix containing benzobicyclon at 494 g ai ha-1 and halosulfuron at 72 g ai ha-1 applied 1 week after flooding. The tropical japonica cultivars have excellent crop safety to benzobicyclon while application to the indica cultivars, Rondo and Purple Marker, expressed severe phytotoxicity. Benzobicyclon caused less than a 2 d delay in heading to the japonica cultivars. Rough rice yield of the tropical japonica cultivars was not affected by benzobicyclon while yields of both indica cultivars were negatively affected. Benzobicyclon can safely be applied to drill-seeded tropical japonica inbred and hybrid cultivars in a post-flood application without concerns for crop injury. Benzobicyclon should not be used on indica cultivars as it will cause severe injury, delayed heading, and yield loss.

Cotton growers commonly use glufosinate-based programs to control glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth. Palmer amaranth must be small (≤7.5 cm) for consistent control by glufosinate, and growers often miss the optimum application timing. XtendFlex™ cotton may provide growers a tool to control larger Palmer amaranth. Glufosinate, dicamba, and glufosinate plus dicamba were compared for Palmer amaranth control in a rescue situation. Herbicides were applied to 16- to 23-cm weeds (POST-1) followed by a second application (POST-2) 12 d later. Glufosinate-ammonium at 590 g ai ha−1 plus dicamba diglycolamine salt at 560 g ae ha−1 POST-1 followed by glufosinate plus dicamba POST-2 was more effective than glufosinate at 880 g ha−1 POST-1 followed by glufosinate at 590 g ha−1 POST-2 or dicamba alone applied twice. Following a directed layby application of glyphosate, diuron, and S-metolachlor 14 d after POST-2, Palmer amaranth was controlled 99% by any system containing dicamba or glufosinate plus dicamba POST-1 followed by dicamba, glufosinate, or glufosinate plus dicamba POST-2 compared with 87% to 91% control by glufosinate alone applied twice. Cotton height and number of main stem nodes at layby were reduced in systems with dicamba only POST-1 followed by dicamba or glufosinate plus dicamba POST-2, presumably due to competition from the slowly dying Palmer amaranth with dicamba only POST-1. These treatments also delayed cotton maturity and reduced lint yield compared with systems containing glufosinate plus dicamba at POST-1.

Goosegrass biotypes from golf courses in Richmond, VA (CCV) and New Bern, NC (RB) historically treated with oxadiazon were identified as resistant compared to susceptible standard (PBU) based on comparisons of oxadiazon applied preemergence at increasing rates (0.03 to 2.24 kg ha-1). Oxadiazon at rates ≤ 2.24 kg ha-1 rate did not prevent emergence of suspected resistant CCV and RB seedlings. PBU emergence was completely prevented at 0.14 kg ha-1. Based on percent seedling emergence relative to non-treated and percent above-ground biomass reduction relative to non-treated, the oxadiazon rate at which emergence would be reduced 50% (I50) or 90% (I90) ranged from 0.12 to 0.18 kg ha-1 or 10.83 to 85.57 kg ha-1, respectively for suspected resistant CCV and RB, compared to 0.03 to 0.4 kg ha-1 or 0.12 to 0.19 kg ha-1, respectively for susceptible standard PBU. Seedling emergence data predicted 7.9 and 3.0 times greater I90 values for CCV and RB, respectively compared to biomass data. All three biotypes were completely controlled by preemergence applied labeled rates of prodiamine and indaziflam. This is the first peer-reviewed report of evolved weed resistance to oxadiazon.

Field trials were conducted in 2013 and 2014 to investigate the tolerance of limpograss to increasing rates of hexazinone. Dose-response curves were generated using linear and quadratic regression models to determine the hexazinone estimated dose (ED) required to provide 10% (ED10) and 20% (ED20) of visual injury and herbage mass reduction. The ED10 and ED20 for visual estimates of injury were estimated to be 0.05 and 0.14 kg ai ha-1 at 60 d after treatment (DAT). Regarding forage herbage mass reduction, the ED10 and ED20 were estimated to be 0.07 and 0.19 kg ai ha-1 in 2013, whereas in 2014, the ED10 and ED20 were estimated to be 0.03 and 0.06 kg ai ha-1, respectively. The significant difference in herbage mass reduction between 2013 and 2014 was likely due to rainfall patterns, which possibly promoted hexazinone leaching in 2013 and consequently, less activity. Overall, hexazinone resulted in high degrees of limpograss injury across all response variables in both years; therefore, smutgrass control in limpograss pastures with hexazinone may not be a viable option. The presence or absence of smutgrass should be considered before limpograss establishment as there is no viable herbicide to selectively remove smutgrass from limpograss swards.

Field studies were conducted at the Pontotoc Ridge-Flatwoods Branch Experiment Station in Pontotoc, MS in 2015 and 2016 to determine the influence of lay-by metribuzin application on weed control and sweetpotato crop response. With the exception of weedy and hand-weeded checks, all plots received flumioxazin at 107 gaiha−1 pre-transplanting followed by (fb) clomazone at 1,120 gaiha−1 immediately after transplanting. Lay-by treatments consisted of S-metolachlor (800 gaiha−1), metribuzin (210 or 315 gaiha−1), metribuzin (210 gha−1) plus napropamide (1,120 gaiha−1), and metribuzin (210 gha−1) plus S-metolachlor (800 gha−1). At 4 weeks after transplanting, sweetpotato crop injury was 3 to 15%, but was transient and not evident after 6 (2015) to 8 weeks after transplanting (2016). Season-long weed control was excellent (≥98%) for all herbicide treatments used in the study. Hand-weeded check plots yielded 4,600; 18,350; 28,770; and 1,520 kgha−1 of jumbo, No. 1, marketable, and cull grades, respectively. Jumbo, No. 1, and marketable yields from all herbicide-containing treatments in the study were greater than the weedy check and similar to the hand-weeded check. For all treatments, the portion of yield graded as cull was similar to the hand-weeded check. Canner yield response differed between years. In general, canner yield was greater in 2016 (8,460 to 10,670 kgha−1) than 2015 (1,570 to 3,570 kgha−1). In both years, canner yield in all treatments was similar to the hand-weeded check with one exception: in 2015 sweetpotato receiving metribuzin plus napropamide yielded more canners (3,570 kgha−1) than the hand-weeded check (2,300 kgha−1).

Bell pepper producers are faced with the challenge of controlling weeds following the phase-out of methyl bromide (MBr). Numerous attempts have been made to find a single fumigant or herbicide to control a broad spectrum of weeds. Adequate weed control in bell pepper will likely require weed management systems utilizing both fumigant and herbicide options. A weed management system including the fumigant dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) plus chloropicrin (Pic) plus the herbicide napropamide prior to transplant followed by S-metolachlor POST may be necessary to replace MBr. Field experiments were conducted during 2010 and 2011 near Ty Ty, Georgia to determine bell pepper and weed response to DMDS plus Pic or in systems with napropamide and/or S-metolachlor. Bell pepper were not significantly injured by DMDS plus Pic or napropamide. Injury caused by S-metolachlor was transient and plants fully recovered by 4 weeks after treatment (WAT). Yellow nutsedge control 6 WAT using DMDS plus Pic applied at 468 or 560 L ha−1 controlled yellow nutsedge 91 to 95%. Large crabgrass control 6 WAT was 92 to 100% when DMDS plus Pic was applied at 468 or 560 L ha−1 with or without a(n) herbicide (S-metolachlor or napropamide). Palmer Amaranth control prior to harvest was 21, 64, and 85% using DMDS plus Pic at 374, 468, or 560 L ha−1, respectively. DMDS plus Pic applied at 468 or 560 L ha-1 with napropamide followed by S-metolachlor POST gave 95 to 99% control of Palmer amaranth 6 WAT. Consistent weed control and optimum yields were obtained when DMDS plus Pic was used at 468 L ha−1 plus napropamide beneath plastic mulch followed by S-metolachlor POST.

Annual bluegrass seedhead suppression on golf greens by spring-applied plant growth regulators (PGR) has been erratic between years and locations. To effectively suppress annual bluegrass seedheads on greens, current information suggest ethephon must be applied before floral initiation. Rogue seedheads, however, can sometimes be found in late winter indicating that a variable proportion of annual bluegrass plants may induce floral initiation in winter. Studies were conducted in Blacksburg and Harrisonburg, VA at five separate sites between 2011 and 2012 to determine if winter applications of ethephon or mefluidide would improve annual bluegrass seedhead suppression when applied in advance of a spring, two-treatment program. A spring, two-treatment program of ethephon plus trinexapac-ethyl reduced annual bluegrass seedhead cover 22 to 55% depending on trial and less than similar mefluidide programs. Applying an early application of ethephon in January or February prior to the spring treatment program resulted in 5 to 7 times less seedhead cover at cover maxima than the spring treatment program alone. Ethephon did not injure creeping bentgrass and caused only slight and transient discoloration to annual bluegrass. Mefluidide injured both creeping bentgrass and annual bluegrass and reduced annual bluegrass population density in late spring. Programs that consisted of an early ethephon application, a spring treatment of triademifon, and two spring treatments of ethephon plus trinexapac ethyl improved seedhead suppression and turf quality but slightly increased annual bluegrass injury. Methiozolin suppressed annual bluegrass seedheads primarily through severe injury to annual bluegrass, which led to a decline in turfgrass quality and NDVI but a substantial increase in creeping bentgrass cover. Applying PGRs in winter is a novel concept and may substantially improve ethephon consistency and performance for annual bluegrass seedhead suppression on greens.

Methiozolin is an isoxazoline herbicide that selectively controls annual bluegrass in cool-season turf and may control roughstalk bluegrass, another weedy Poa species that is problematic in many turfgrass systems. However, the majority of research to date is limited to evaluating methiozolin efficacy for annual bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass putting greens. Research was conducted comparing various application regimes of methiozolin and other herbicides for long-term roughstalk bluegrass control in creeping bentgrass golf fairways. Methiozolin-only treatments did not injure creeping bentgrass or reduce normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI) at 2 golf course locations based on 20 evaluation dates over a 2.5-yr period. The 2.5-yr average turf quality generally declined as roughstalk bluegrass control increased due to transient turf cover loss. At 1 yr after last treatment, methiozolin at 1500 g ai ha-1 applied four times in fall reduced roughstalk bluegrass cover 85%. This was equivalent to methiozolin at 1000 g ha-1 applied four times in fall, but greater than low rates of methiozolin applied four times in spring or twice in fall and spring. Amicarbazone, primisulfuron, and bispyribac-sodium alone either did not effectively reduce roughstalk bluegrass cover, or did so at the expense of increased creeping bentgrass injury. Results of this study suggest that methiozolin alone or tank-mixed with amicarbazone or primisulfuron is an effective long-term approach for selectively controlling roughstalk bluegrass in creeping bentgrass.

With the release of dicamba-resistant crops, it is necessary to understand how technical and environmental conditions affect the application of dicamba. This study sought to evaluate drift from dicamba applications through flat-fan nozzles, under several wind speeds in a wind tunnel. Dicamba applications were performed through two standard (XR and TT) and two air induction (AIXR and TTI) 110015 nozzles at 0.9, 2.2, 3.6 and 4.9 ms−1 wind speeds. The applications were made at 276 kPa pressure and the dicamba rate was 561 g ae ha-1. The droplet spectrum was measured using a laser diffraction system. Artificial targets were used as drift collectors, positioned in a wind tunnel from 2 to 12 m downwind from the nozzles. Drift potential was determined using a fluorescent tracer added to solutions, quantified by fluorimetry. The air induction TTI nozzle produced the lowest percentage of dicamba drift at 2.2, 3.6 and 4.9 ms−1 wind speeds at all distances. Dicamba spray drift from XR, TT and AIXR nozzles increased exponentially as wind speed increased, whereas from TTI nozzle drift increased linearly as wind speed increased. Drift did not increase linearly as the volume percentage of droplets smaller than 100 µm and wind speed increased.

Oregon’s Willamette Valley is the major cool-season, grass-seed-production area in the world. Roughstalk bluegrass (RB) is a weed in waterlogged, grass-seed-crop fields. Growth chamber and greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the influence of waterlogging on the germination and establishment of RB and tall fescue (TF). Oxygen deficiency resulted in a germination delay in both species, but was greater for TF. Oxygen deficiency at 20 and 30 C was greater for TF compared to RB. Simulated waterlogging for 28 d reduced aboveground biomass more for RB (58%) than for TF (46%), but did not influence seedling survival. Compared to TF, the influence of waterlogging on RB was greater during early establishment. These responses may help RB maintain its germination rate while reducing the damage caused by the accumulation of toxic fermentation-metabolites during waterlogging which benefits RB in competition with TF, especially under high temperatures.

A crops ability to both suppress weed growth and tolerate weed competition is a key consideration when taking an agroecological approach to weed management. Amongst other cereals, oats are widely considered to have superior weed competitiveness yet studies examining competitive ability of oat varieties are rare. We investigated the ability of oats to suppress weeds and yield in the presence of competition from weeds in trials involving five husked and three naked oat varieties at an organic site in the east of England over four trial years (2009-13). We identified a number of key traits that were important for weed suppression including establishment rate, tillering ability, and early leaf area index (LAI) which highlight the importance of rapid early growth rate. Furthermore, taller varieties tended to be more weed tolerant but not necessarily more suppressive. Trade-offs between competitive traits and yield were not found in this study. Crop tillering ability was highlighted as an important trait for selection due to its beneficial effects on weed suppression as well as grain yield and also its high heritability.

Weed seed viability is an important parameter to assess the efficacy of soil disinfestation methods like fumigation and steam. In field experiments, seed samples are commonly placed in permeable bags and buried at several depths in soil before the application of soil disinfestation treatments. The seed samples are recovered several days to weeks after treatment and then seed viability is determined in the laboratory. The process of sample installation and recovery is time consuming and may expose personnel to hazardous conditions such as heat or fumigants. Described is a custom soil probe system, developed to simplify installation and recovery of weed seeds from soil. Each soil probe is capable of holding weed seed samples at three different depths up to 30 cm. The following hypothesis was tested: viability of weed seeds is similarly affected by soil disinfestation treatments whether the seeds were contained in the soil probe system or seed bag assays. Two different soil disinfestation trials were conducted: (1) a repeated micro-plot study (USDA Salinas, 1 m-2), using steam as a soil disinfestation treatment and (2) a field study in a commercial strawberry field with 1,3-dicloropropene plus chloropicrin (Pic-Clor 60) as soil disinfestation method. In both studies, seed viability of burning nettle, common knotweed, and common purslane (tetrazolium assay) and germination rates of yellow nutsedge tubers were assessed. Results indicate that the soil probe system can be used as an alternative to the seed bag assay to assess weed control efficacy of described soil disinfestation methods.

Methiozolin is a selective herbicide that has been reported to control annual bluegrass in creeping bentgrass putting greens. Golf course managers frequently tank-mix fertilizers with herbicides to reduce time and labor, but no information is available regarding such mixtures with methiozolin. Research was conducted to evaluate methiozolin for annual bluegrass control and creeping bentgrass safety when tank-mixed with ammonium sulfate or iron sulfate. Mixtures with ammonium sulfate did not influence annual bluegrass control while they did reduce creeping bentgrass injury in some instances. Mixtures with iron sulfate varied by experimental run but annual bluegrass control was either similar or increased while creeping bentgrass injury did not vary. Paclobutrazol was included as an alternative agrochemical comparison for annual bluegrass management; its application resulted in similar control and injury with and without iron sulfate addition, and injury and control were similar to methiozolin at appropriate rates. While some differences were observed, overall annual bluegrass and creeping bentgrass response to methiozolin was not affected by tank-mix nutrient partner relative to methiozolin applied alone.

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) represent a significant food waste residue. Value-added uses for this material would be beneficial. Gritty agricultural residues, such as corncob grit, can be employed as abrasive air-propelled agents for organically-compatible and selective shredding of weed seedlings within established crops. SCG were tested and compared with corncob grit for their ability to injure seedlings of two important weeds: waterhemp and velvetleaf. Waterhemp seedlings were controlled completely with as little as 0.5 g of SCG at an air pressure of 690 kPa. Velvetleaf seedlings were much larger than those of waterhemp at the time of grit application, better tolerated SCG abrasion, but still were damaged appreciably by 1 to 2 g of grit. SCG were at least as effective for abrading weed seedlings as corncob grit, whose value for this purpose in organic crops was demonstrated previously.

Herbicide resistance has increased the need for novel weed control strategies. Fluridone has herbicidal as well as potential germination stimulant activity. The objectives of this study were to evaluate fluridone as a fall-applied germination stimulant for weed control and to assess rotational crop tolerance. Fall-applied fluridone was compared with a nontreated control in areas established with false cleavers, volunteer canola, and wild oat at Lacombe, AB, in 2014–2015 and 2015–2016, and at St Albert, AB, in 2015–2016. In the fall, there was a trend for weed densities to be higher in fluridone treatments than in untreated controls across site-years. The stimulatory effect of fluridone on weed germination was not statistically significant in fall assessments, while the weed control effect was significant in 33% of spring assessments. While fluridone reduced weed biomass for some site-years, it also reduced canola crop emergence and biomass at St Albert in 2015–2016, and caused injury symptoms on wheat and field pea. Risk of carryover to subsequent crops outweighed the benefits of using fluridone in the fall to stimulate weed germination in this study.