Field studies were conducted in 1996 and 1997 at three locations throughout southern Ontario with the objective of developing dose-response curves of RPA 201772 for weed control and crop tolerance in corn. The biologically effective doses required to control redroot pigweed, velvetleaf, and wild mustard were 100, 90, and 80 g/ha, respectively. Yellow foxtail was controlled with 100 to 120 g/ha, while rates for common lambsquarters varied from 60 to 130 g/ha, depending on the year and location. Wild buckwheat control was poor (> 30%) at all of the doses tested. RPA 201772 did not reduce corn grain yield; however, temporary crop injury was evident on coarse sandy soils.

Field experiments were conducted in 1996 and 1997 at five locations in southwestern Ontario to develop dose-response curves for SAN 1269H (SAN 835H plus dicamba) for weed control and crop tolerance in corn. SAN 1269H controlled wild buckwheat (Polygonum convolvulus L.), common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), pigweeds (Amaranthus retroflexus L. and A. powellii S. Wats.), barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.], and yellow foxtail [Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.]. Biologically effective doses of SAN 1269H (BAS 662H) were 440, 430, 180, and 40 g/ha for yellow foxtail, barnyard grass, wild buckwheat, and common ragweed, respectively. The biologically effective dose (that which provides 90% reduction in weed dry matter) for common lambsquarters was 560 g/ha when SAN 1269H was applied preemergence (PRE) and 110 g/ha when applied postemergence (POST). When applied PRE at a rate of 420 g/ha, pigweed was controlled, whereas only 85 g/ha was required when applied POST. Grain yield increased with dose of SAN 1269H and did not differ with time of application. Temporary crop injury was observed when SAN 1269H was applied at the four- to six-leaf growth stage. Optimum corn yields were achieved with doses of 100 to 250 g/ha.

Broomsedge control studies were conducted on six broomsedge-infested pastures in southeastern Oklahoma from 1995 to 1997. Glyphosate applied in spring at 2.24 kg ai/ha decreased broomsedge plant density by 58% 3 mo after treatment (MAT), on areas where the previous year's forage was grazed, and by 95% 3 MAT, where spring fire had removed the old top-growth before glyphosate application. Broomsedge plant density was not affected where glyphosate was applied in spring to sites with old-standing top-growth. Paraquat applied in spring at 0.56 kg ai/ha and spring burning without a herbicide treatment had no effect on broomsedge plant density. Glyphosate at 0.56 and 1.12 kg ai/ha applied in late summer reduced the number of broomsedge stems 1 yr after treatment (YAT) by an average of 65 and 80%, respectively. Paraquat at 0.56 kg/ha applied in late summer of 1995, followed by burning 1 wk after treatment (WAT), decreased broomsedge stem density by more than 60% 1 YAT at four of six locations when compared with mowing in late summer. Burning in November after an October frost decreased broomsedge stem density by more than 47% 1 YAT at four locations. Two consecutive years of burning after frost and paraquat applied in late summer followed by burning 1 WAT reduced broomsedge dry matter production by 68 and 96%, respectively, when compared with mowing in late summer. These data suggest that good to excellent control of established broomsedge is possible with herbicides alone, with a combination of herbicides and late-summer burning, and with fall burning after an early frost in a dry fall. However, broomsedge control was short-lived with all the treatments because of the establishment of new broomsedge seedlings. Thus, it will be important to integrate the destruction of broomsedge plants with proper fertility and grazing management in order to provide satisfactory broomsedge control.

Row spacing affects the time of canopy closure, thus influencing the growth and development of both crop and weeds. Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 at Mead, NE, and 2000 and 2001 at Concord in eastern Nebraska to determine the effects of three row spacings (19, 38, and 76 cm) on the critical time for weed removal (CTWR) in dryland soybean. A three-parameter logistic equation was fit to data relating relative crop yield to increasing duration of weed presence. In general, earliest CTWR occurred in the 76-cm rows, and coincided with the first trifoliate stage of soybean. Latest CTWR occurred in the 19-cm rows and coincided with the third trifoliate. The CTWR in 38-cm rows occurred at the second trifoliate. Practical implications are that planting soybean in wide rows reduces early-season crop tolerance to weeds requiring earlier weed management programs than in narrower rows.

The development of glufosinate-resistant corn represents a new weed management system for corn growers. Field experiments were conducted from 1995 to 1997 at four locations in southwestern Ontario. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of timing of weed control relative to the growth stage of corn with glufosinate applied alone or in combination with residual herbicides. Control of all species tested improved with the addition of atrazine plus dicamba to glufosinate, applied from the two- to eight-leaf stage of corn growth. Based on a 90% weed dry matter reduction, glufosinate with atrazine plus dicamba controlled common ragweed, common lambsquarters, and pigweed species at the three-leaf stage of corn and yellow foxtail, barnyardgrass, and large crabgrass at the two-, four-, and eight-leaf stage of corn, respectively. Weed control with glufosinate alone was improved when applied at the later growth stages of corn. Glufosinate applied alone at the four-leaf stage of corn controlled common ragweed and common lambsquarters, whereas pigweed species were controlled effectively at the eight-leaf stage of corn growth. Corn grain yield was consistently higher when glufosinate was applied in combination with residual herbicides, compared to glufosinate alone. Glufosinate in combination with residual herbicides applied to corn at the three- to five-leaf stage may represent the best timing for weed control. Our data suggested that a tank mixture of glufosinate with other postemergence residual herbicides or a split application of glufosinate in combination with cultivation may be required for weed control in glufosinate-resistant corn.

Cogongrass is an aggressive perennial weed, which causes severe yield losses in major crops of the moist savanna of West Africa. Field studies were conducted from 2000 to 2002 at Alabata and Ilorin, Nigeria, to evaluate the influence of dosage and time of nicosulfuron application on the control of cogongrass and corn grain yield. Nicosulfuron dosages were 50, 100, 150, and 200 g ai/ha applied 1, 2, 3, or 4 wk after planting (WAP) corn. Hand-weeded and nonweeded treatments were the controls. Three to 4 wk after treatment and at final harvest, all plots that received nicosulfuron had significantly lower cogongrass shoot dry matter (DM) than the nonweeded control across locations in all years (P ≤ 0.01). Nicosulfuron increased corn grain yield at Alabata by 96% in 2000, 100% in 2001, and 34 to 54% in 2002, and at Ilorin by 79 to 83% in 2001 and 60 to 69% in 2002 when compared with the nonweeded control. The weeded control had corn grain yield similar to plots that received nicosulfuron at 200 g/ha at Alabata in 2001, 150 g/ha at Ilorin in 2001, 50 to 200 g/ha at Alabata in 2002, and 150 and 200 g/ha at Ilorin in 2002. There were negative linear relationships between corn DM, grain yield, and cogongrass shoot DM. Application of nicosulfuron at 1 or 2 WAP, when cogongrass was 22 to 27 cm tall, gave better grain yield and lower cogongrass shoot DM than at 3 or 4 WAP, when cogongrass was 36 to 45 cm tall. The study concludes that 150 to 200 g/ha of nicosulfuron applied at 1 or 2 WAP is effective for cogongrass control without adverse effect on corn grain yield.

Studies were conducted at one location in 1997 (W97) and in two locations in 1998 (E98 and W98) near Garden City, KS, to evaluate the impact of Palmer amaranth at densities of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 plants/m of row on forage yield and quality of irrigated corn and to determine if harvesting Palmer amaranth–infested corn for forage rather than for grain would reduce losses. Weed-free corn, Palmer amaranth alone, and corn–Palmer amaranth harvested together were evaluated for forage yield and quality. Forage quality was determined by evaluating in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and crude protein (CP). Corn grain and forage yield declined with increasing Palmer amaranth density. However, decline in forage yield ranged from 1 to 44% of the weed-free yield at Palmer amaranth densities of 0.5 and 8 plants/m of row, whereas decline in grain yield ranged from 11 to 74% of the weed-free yield at the same densities. Digestibility of weed-free corn forage, expressed as IVDMD, was significantly higher than that of Palmer amaranth alone at W97 and W98. The CP of weed-free corn forage was similar to that of Palmer amaranth forage at W98, but it was lower at the other two locations. In contrast, CP did not differ between corn–Palmer amaranth harvested together and weed-free corn. The IVDMD of weed-free corn forage was greater than that of corn–Palmer amaranth mixture at W98, but no differences were observed at the other two locations. The relative feeding values of weed-free corn and corn–Palmer amaranth mixture were similar, and greater than that of Palmer amaranth in monoculture. These results indicate that Palmer amaranth interference in corn may not affect forage quality but can cause a decline in yield. This decline in yield is less when harvesting corn and Palmer amaranth together for forage rather than for harvesting corn grain alone.