Intensive research in pastures and forage crops has stimulated an increased interest in grassland farming in the southern states. A great deal of emphasis has been given to the various phases of establishment and maintenance of permanent pastures. However, very little work has been reported on the possible use of chemicals for controlling weeds in grass-legume mixtures.

A high quality cordage fiber can be obtained from certain species of sansevieria (3, 5, 8, 10). Laboratory and small scale manufacturing tests indicate that this fiber is a suitable substitute for abaca, a fiber which is critical for defense purposes. (1,9). Weed competition has been a major problem in the culture of sansevieria for fiber because the plant has a slow rate of growth and a long period of time is required to develop a stand.

Certain members of the phenyl carbamate series and some salts of trichloroacetic acid have been known for several years to possess strong herbicidal properties, particularly toward monocotyledonous plants. This action has been described by Ivens and Blackman (4), McCall and Zahnley (5), Freed and Bierman (2), and others. Inconsistent results obtained in the usage of these chemicals have discouraged many workers from accepting them as useful weed control tools. Recently, Freed (3) analyzed several factors influencing the success or failure of IPC (isopropyl–n–phenyl carbamate). Among these are biochemical specificity, decomposition by soil microorganisms, moisture requirements, and stage of plant development. It has also been demonstrated by Anderson et al (1) that rapid evaporation of carbamates may be a critical factor at temperatures above 75 °F.

Weeds are plants that grow along with cultural plants, both groups making up a community. The prevalence of weed species becomes adjusted to cultural management practices and often, they are not able to survive without their cultivated counterpart. In this way, some weeds become more or less domesticated plants (e.g. Bromus secalinus L.).

The synthesis of C14 carbonyl labeled 3–(parachlorophenyl)–1, 1–dimethylurea (CMU) was undertaken to provide a supply of the herbicide for use in studies of its mode of action and of its retention in the soil.

Water, especially water used for irrigation, has been adjudged for many years an important agent in the dissemination of weed seeds. Egginton and Robbins (7) found a total of 81 different species of weeds in 156 weed seed catches from three different ditches during 1918 and 1919 and determined that the number of weed seeds passing a given point on a ditch which averaged 12 feet in width during a period of 24 hours may reach several millions. Hope (11) analyzed a considerable number of weed seed catches from irrigation channels during 1924 and 1925. He computed that 1,674,030 seeds of 13 different weed species which occurred on the surface and to a depth of 1.57 inches in one 10-foot ditch passed during a 24-hour period on September 2, 1925. Further computations illustrated that the flow of weed seeds would amount to a deposition of 170,800 seeds per acre of land in one 6-inch irrigation. The latter computations were based on the assumption that the seeds were distributed uniformly over the cross section of the ditch at the point of catch.

Sugar cane appears to be suitable for the use of 2,4–D sprays for selective weed control. According to Young (1952) this is a regular commercial practice on some of the large plantations in Puerto Rico. The operators of certain plantations in Peru have found the application of 2,4–D to be economically practicable for broad-leaved weed control. Best and Gibbens (1951) have reported the value of 2,4–D sprays for sugar cane in Louisiana.