Field studies in 1988 and 1989 evaluated POST herbicides alone and in tank-mixtures for tropic croton control in peanut. Acifluorfen + 2,4-DB, acifluorfen + bentazon, acifluorfen + bentazon + 2,4-DB controlled > 90% of tropic croton when applied at 2 or 4 wk after crop emergence. Paraquat + bentazon controlled 55% at 2 wk and 24% at 4 wk after crop emergence. Imazethapyr and imazethapyr + 2,4-DB controlled < 24% tropic croton at either 2 or 4 wk after crop emergence. Acifluorfen + 2,4-DB, acifluorfen + bentazon, and acifluorfen + bentazon + 2,4-DB controlled at least 90% of the common lambsquarters, common ragweed, and morningglory species. Greatest yields and net returns were obtained with acifluorfen + bentazon + 2,4-DB applied 2 wk after crop emergence. Yields were higher with acifluorfen + bentazon + 2,4-DB and imazethapyr applied at 2 wk after crop emergence than at 4 wk after crop emergence. All other herbicide treatments provided equivalent yields among application timings. Only acifluorfen + 2,4-DB provided equivalent net returns at either application timing. All other herbicide treatments provided lower net returns with applications made at 4 wk than at 2 wk after crop emergence.

Extension workers are sensing pressure to use soils information and chemical characteristics data to guide farmers in selecting pesticides least prone to leach into groundwater. Our objective was to estimate differences in herbicide migration to groundwater under conditions typical for the Southeast Coastal Plain, and to consider how a farmer might be advised to use such knowledge in selecting herbicides. We used a simple computer code for microcomputers to predict persistence and migration of 17 herbicides through a hypothetical, coarse-textured soil typical of the Southeast Coastal Plain. Appropriate herbicides were selected for several common crop-weed problems, such as sicklepod in soybean and Palmer amaranth in corn. Groundwater was assumed to be 3.15 m below the soil surface. Herbicides selected covered a broad range of half-lives and organic carbon partition coefficients. Only after the first-order degradation rate constant was reduced by a factor of five did predicted soil water concentrations of several herbicides at the groundwater interface reach normal detection limits. Still, predicted concentrations were below the level established for health effects advisory purposes. Due to the large number of uncertainties and the inability to estimate practical benefits, we conclude that data relating to soil and herbicide characteristics cannot be used at this time to override cost effectiveness, efficacy, and other factors normally considered by farmers and Extension professionals in herbicides for weed control.

Agriprofessionals and technical college students took an examination without and with simple dichotomous keys. Without keys, only 15% and 30% of the agriprofessionals identified 71% or more of the grass and morningglory species (Ipomoea spp. # IPOZZ), respectively; 97% scored in this range for both weed groups with keys. Without keys, no student scored higher than 40% or 30% on grass and morningglory species, respectively. With keys, all students identified more than 60% and 50% of the grasses and morningglories, respectively. For grasses, only 3% of the agriprofessionals and none of the students achieved an excellent (>90%) score without keys, while 56% and 8% did with keys. Twelve percent and 65% of the agriprofessionals achieved an excellent score on the morningglory species without and with keys, respectively; 42% of the students scored higher than 80% with keys.

Field experiments conducted at three locations in Georgia during 1991 and 1992 evaluated AC 263,222 and imazethapyr rates alone at 18, 36, 54, or 72 g ai/ha and in mixture for a total of 36, 54, or 72 g/ha of herbicide applied early-POST for weed control, peanut injury, and yield. An application of AC 263,222 at 72 g/ha controlled (> 90%) Ipomoea morningglories, sicklepod, smallflower morningglory, and yellow nutsedge in all experiments and coffee senna and Florida beggarweed at Chula in 1991. Bristly starbur was controlled at least 90% with AC 263,222 at 72 g/ha at Tifton in 1991, but less than 62% at Chula in 1991. Imazethapyr applied at 72 g/ha controlled coffee senna, Ipomoea morningglories, and smallflower morningglory at least 85%, but did not control Florida beggarweed or sicklepod and provided inconsistent bristly starbur and yellow nutsedge control. Bristly starbur and yellow nutsedge control was increased with several AC 263,222 plus imazethapyr mixtures. High peanut yields comparable to the standard were indicative of the AC 263,222 rate applied whether alone or in mixture with imazethapyr.

Field studies in 1990 and 1991 evaluated treatment timings of nicosulfuron and bentazon alone and in mixture for weed control, peanut injury, and yield. The experimental areas were treated with a broadcast PPI application of benefin at 1.68 kg ai ha-1. Nicosulfuron was applied at 40 g ai ha-1 and bentazon at 560 g ai ha-1. Nicosulfuron mixed with bentazon applied 1 wk after crop emergence (WAE) controlled yellow nutsedge 81%. Bentazon or bentazon plus nicosulfuron applied 1 or 3 WAE controlled smallflower morningglory at least 94%. Nicosulfuron controlled sicklepod at least 76% in 1990. However, control of sicklepod was 71% from 1 WAE nicosulfuron application in 1991 and less than 26% for 3, 5, or 7 WAE application. Bentazon controlled Ipomoea spp. at least 70% but did not control Florida beggarweed and sicklepod. Nicosulfuron alone controlled Florida beggarweed and Ipomoea spp. Nicosulfuron reduced early-season peanut growth, but peanut recovered by mid-August. Bentazon reduced nicosulfuron control of Florida beggarweed when applied 1, 3, or 5 WAE, but not 7 WAE. Bentazon mixed with nicosulfuron applied 3 WAE in 1990 reduced weed-free peanut yields compared to nicosulfuron alone. Nicosulfuron and bentazon did not significantly reduce peanut yields under weed-free conditions in 1991.

Cotton yield response was evaluated in 1987, 1988, and 1989 when weeds were managed with preemergence fluometuron [none (0%), band (50%), or broadcast (100%) surface coverage], cultivation (none, one, two, or three times), and postdirected fluometuron + MSMA. Weed densities (primarily prickly sida, morningglories, and hemp sesbania) varied widely among years and were directly related to early season rainfall. Postdirected herbicide application or cultivation(s) had little effect on weed density. The use of a banded fluometuron application reduced weed biomass 28 to 47%. A further decrease was observed when preemergence fluometuron was increased from banded to broadcast coverage. Seed cotton yields were low with no preemergence fluometuron. Banded fluometuron and at least one cultivation had yields similar to broadcast fluometuron only. Cotton yields were related to weed density and weed biomass in a hyperbolic relationship. Low weed densities caused more yield loss per unit weed density than higher densities.

Field experiments were conducted in Tifton, Midville, and Athens, GA to determine economic net returns from PRE-broadcast, PRE-banded, POST, and POST-directed herbicide treatments and inter-row cultivation in conventional-tillage soybean. Metribuzin applied PRE-broadcast was more effective for sicklepod and morningglory control than PRE-banded. Soybean net returns were not significantly reduced in two of three years in plots treated with metribuzin applied PRE-banded compared with broadcast application. The addition of POST or POST-directed herbicides increased treatment net returns over PRE-broadcast and PRE-banded metribuzin two of the three years of the study. No significant soybean injury was observed.

Field experiments conducted at four locations in Georgia and two locations in Florida during 1992 and 1993 evaluated AC 263,222 application rates and timings, systems, and mixtures for weed control, peanut injury, and yield. All rates of AC 263,222 applied early POST (EPOST) or POST controlled Ipomoea morningglories and smallflower morningglory at least 90%, and purple and yellow nutsedge at least 81%. Florida beggarweed and sicklepod control generally was highest when metolachlor was applied PPI followed by AC 263,222 applied EPOST at 71 g/ha, AC 263,222 at 27 or 36 g/ha plus bentazon plus paraquat applied POST, or with bentazon plus paraquat applied EPOST followed by AC 263,222 applied POST at 36 or 53 g/ha. Acifluorfen and acifluorfen plus bentazon reduced Florida beggarweed and sicklepod control at several locations when applied in mixture with AC 263,222. Common ragweed and hairy indigo control were 85 to 95% with bentazon plus paraquat applied EPOST followed by AC 263,222 applied POST at 36 or 53 g/ha. Highest peanut yields were obtained with treatments providing high levels of weed control.