Littleseed canarygrass, a troublesome wheat weed, has developed resistance against isoproturon in India. Laboratory, pot, and field experiments were conducted to quantify the level of isoproturon resistance in various littleseed canarygrass biotypes and to evaluate the response of isoproturon-resistant littleseed canarygrass to alternate herbicides. For quantification of resistance, 10 littleseed canarygrass biotypes were collected from fields with a varied history of cropping and herbicide use. Pot studies indicated that 6 out of the 10 biotypes tested were resistant to isoproturon. The resistant (R) biotypes had 50% growth reduction values, 5 to 10 times greater than that of the most susceptible biotype. The R biotypes were from areas where isoproturon had been used continuously for more than 10 yr in wheat under a continuous rice–wheat cropping system. The isoproturon resistance was not detected where crops and herbicides were rotated. Under field conditions, postemergence isoproturon at 1,000 g/ha 32 d after sowing failed to control littleseed canarygrass and as a result wheat grain yield decreased by 65% compared with the weed-free control. The herbicides observed to be effective in wheat against isoproturon-resistant littleseed canarygrass were CGA 184927 (50 to 60 g ai/ha), fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (100 to 120 g/ha), ICIA 0604 (350 g ai/ha), and MON 37503 (25 g ai/ha). The use of these herbicides increased the grain yield by 200% or more when compared with the weedy check. Among the herbicides tested, MON 37503 at 25 g ai/ha was the best because of complex weed flora control and produced wheat yield similar to that of the weed-free control. Based on this study, the absence of resistance when herbicides and crops were rotated indicates that growers should follow herbicide and crop rotation in order to avoid development of herbicide resistance in the near future. The integration of this system (crop and herbicide rotation) with cultural and mechanical means of weed control could be further targeted as a long-term strategy for resistance management.

Sethoxydim, tralkoxydim, imazethapyr, quinclorac, propanil, glyphosate, and glufosinate were tested at rates below those recommended by the manufacturers with Pyricularia setariae Niskada under greenhouse conditions for control of green foxtail. At one-tenth of the recommended rate in a 100 L/ha carrier volume, only the sethoxydim–P. setariae combination achieved more effective green foxtail control when compared with the herbicide or pathogen alone. Selected herbicides at one-tenth, one-fourth, and one-half of the recommended rates showed variable interactions with the pathogen on plants with three and five leaves. Propanil (recommended rate 0.99 kg ai/ha) was more synergistic at higher rates, especially on larger plants, for which the combined treatment increased green foxtail mortality from zero in the herbicide alone to 100%. Quinclorac (recommended rate 0.10 kg ai/ha) acted similarly to propanil with slightly lower synergy effects. Sethoxydim (recommended rate 0.15 kg ai/ha) at one-tenth or one-quarter of the rate plus P. setariae often enhanced green foxtail control on larger plants. On smaller plants, the herbicide and pathogen alone were highly efficacious. Compared with tank mixes with P. setariae, propanil, quinclorac, or sethoxydim applied 6 h before the pathogen or earlier generally showed greater efficacy. Delaying a tank mix application for up to 2 h had little negative effect, but longer than 4 h often reduced efficacy. When combining the pathogen at different doses with propanil, quinclorac, or sethoxydim at one-tenth, one-quarter, and one-half of the rate, both fungal dose and herbicide rate affected the efficacy. Coapplying any of the herbicides at the one-quarter rate with the pathogen at the sublethal dose of 2 × 107 spores/ml achieved complete control of green foxtail.

Based on field surveys and evaluations in the greenhouse, two fungal pathogens, Bipolaris sacchari and Drechslera gigantea, were identified as promising biological control agents for cogongrass. In greenhouse trials, the application of spore suspensions of these fungi containing 105 spores/ ml in a 1% aqueous gelatin solution to cogongrass plants and their incubation in a dew chamber for 24 h resulted in disease symptoms that ranged from discrete lesions to complete blighting of leaves. Disease severity (DS), based on a rating scale for southern corn leaf blight with 50% as the maximum DS rating, ranged from 42 to 49%. In greenhouse experiments, the application of spores formulated in an oil emulsion composed of 4% horticultural oil, 10% light mineral oil, and 86% water resulted in higher levels of foliar blight with no dew exposure or shorter periods of dew exposure (4, 8, or 12 h) as compared with the application of spores formulated in 1% gelatin. Field trials demonstrated that under natural conditions, the application of a spore and an oil emulsion mixture containing 105 spores/ml of either fungus could cause foliar injury from disease and phytotoxic damage from the oil emulsion. Depending on the application rate (100 or 200 ml/plot), the level of foliar injury ranged from 40 to 86% (based on a field assessment scale of 0 to 100% foliar injury) with B. sacchari as the test fungus. However, with D. gigantea as the test fungus, foliar injury ranged from 9 to 70% depending on the application volume and the oil concentration used. Although B. sacchari and D. gigantea were capable of causing foliar blight on cogongrass, the regenerative ability of the rhizomes allowed cogongrass to recover from the damage caused by these fungi. However, the level of injury caused by these fungi is sufficient to support their use as components for integrated management of cogongrass.