The effect of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] on carbon dioxide. (CO2) levels, ethylene production, and cellulase activity was investigated. Production of ethylene increased within 12 h and CO2 increased within 24 h when 12-day-old bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Red Kidney’) were treated with 20 mM isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. The CO2 cycled for 3 days and then increased around treated plants. Specific activity of cellulase was increased in debladed bean seedlings that had been pretreated with 20 mM isopropylamine salt of glyphosate. Cellulase enhancement was detected 2 days after the pretreated plants were debladed. Glyphosate-enhanced ethylene production may have increased the cellulase activity.

Three field studies were conducted at Lewiston Woodville, NC, in 2001 and 2002 to evaluate crop tolerance, weed control, grain yield, and net returns in glyphosate-resistant corn with various herbicide systems. Crop injury, weed control, and grain yield were not influenced by glyphosate formulation. Atrazine preemergence (PRE) and atrazine plus metolachlor PRE, averaged over postemergence (POST) systems, controlled Texas panicum at least 80 and 87%, respectively. Sequential glyphosate applications (early postemergence [EPOST] followed by [fb] POST) provided at least 99% control of Texas panicum compared with at least 86 and 88% control with glyphosate EPOST and glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST, respectively. Atrazine plus metolachlor PRE fb any glyphosate system controlled large crabgrass and goosegrass 89 to 100% and 94 to 100%, respectively. Sequential glyphosate treatments controlled large crabgrass and goosegrass at least 99 and 95%, respectively. Regardless of PRE system, glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST and sequential applications of glyphosate controlled common ragweed and common lambsquarters at least 99%, whereas glyphosate EPOST alone provided at least 88 and 96% control, respectively. Glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST and glyphosate sequentially controlled yellow nutsedge similarly and more consistently than glyphosate EPOST. Regardless of PRE treatment, sequential glyphosate applications provided at least 98% control of entireleaf and pitted morningglory, whereas glyphosate EPOST controlled at least 64 and 62%, respectively. Glyphosate EPOST and the sequential glyphosate EPOST fb POST systems yielded similarly at all three locations. Net returns were highest at all three locations with the glyphosate sequential system, with similar net returns obtained with glyphosate EPOST and glyphosate plus halosulfuron EPOST at two and one locations, respectively.

Field studies were conducted at three locations to evaluate glyphosate-resistant (GR) cotton response, weed control, and cotton lint yields to two formulations of glyphosate (diammonium salt– glyphosate and isopropylamine salt–glyphosate) and trifloxysulfuron applied early postemergence (EPOST) alone or to tank mixtures of trifloxysulfuron with each glyphosate formulation, with and without a late postemergence-directed (LAYBY) treatment of prometryn plus MSMA. Trifloxysulfuron and both formulations of glyphosate controlled common lambsquarters and pitted morningglory. Both glyphosate formulations provided equivalent control of common lambsquarters, goosegrass, pitted morningglory, prickly sida, and smooth pigweed. Trifloxysulfuron controlled smooth pigweed better than either glyphosate formulation but did not control goosegrass or prickly sida. Prometryn plus MSMA LAYBY improved late-season control of common lambsquarters, goosegrass, large crabgrass, and pitted morningglory for all EPOST systems and improved late-season smooth pigweed control for EPOST systems that did not include trifloxysulfuron. Cotton injury was 2% or less from both glyphosate formulations, while trifloxysulfuron injured ‘Deltapine 5415RR’ 7 to 16% at two locations. At a third location, trifloxysulfuron injured ‘Paymaster 1218RR/BG’ 24%, and when applied in mixture with either glyphosate formulation, injury increased to at least 72%. Cotton injury was transient at the first two locations and was not visually apparent 3 to 5 wk later. Cotton yield at the third location was reduced. High cotton yields reflected high levels of weed control.

Four field studies were conducted at the Peanut Belt Research Station near Lewiston Woodville, NC, in 2000, 2001, and 2002 to evaluate crop tolerance, weed control, grain yield, and net returns in glyphosate-resistant corn with various herbicide systems. Preemergence (PRE) treatment options included no herbicide, atrazine at 1.12 kg ai/ha, or atrazine plus metolachlor at 1.68 kg ai/ha. Postemergence (POST) treatment options included glyphosate at 1.12 kg ai/ha as either the isopropylamine salt or the diammonium salt, either alone or in mixtures with mesotrione at 105 g ai/ha plus crop oil concentrate at 1% (v/v) or halosulfuron at 53 g ai/ha plus 0.25% (v/v) nonionic surfactant. All response variables were independent of glyphosate formulation. Addition of metolachlor to atrazine PRE improved large crabgrass and goosegrass control but did not always improve Texas panicum control. POST control of these annual grasses was similar with glyphosate alone or in mixture with halosulfuron or mesotrione. Glyphosate POST controlled common lambsquarters and common ragweed 89 and 93%, respectively. Glyphosate plus halosulfuron POST provided more effective yellow nutsedge control than glyphosate POST. Atrazine PRE or atrazine plus metolachlor PRE followed by any glyphosate POST treatment controlled Ipomoea spp. at least 93%. Glyphosate plus mesotrione in total POST systems always provided greater control of Ipomoea spp. than glyphosate alone. The highest yielding treatments always included glyphosate POST, either with or without a PRE herbicide treatment. Similarly, systems that included any glyphosate POST treatment had the highest net returns.

Greenhouse and growth chamber experiments were conducted to study glyphosate efficacy, rainfastness, absorption, and translocation in redvine. Glyphosate at 0, 0.56, 1.12, 2.24, and 4.48 kg ai/ha was applied to redvine plants raised from rootstocks at the five- to seven-leaf stage (about 25 cm tall). Redvine control ranged from 55% at 0.56 kg/ha glyphosate to 98% at 4.48 kg/ha. Glyphosate at rates above 1.12 kg/ha, greatly reduced regrowth from rootstocks of treated plants. A simulated rainfall of 2.5 cm (7.5 cm/h intensity) within 24 h of glyphosate application reduced efficacy by 23% compared with no simulated rainfall. Absorption of 14C-glyphosate in redvine increased from 1.8 to 21.9%, and translocation increased from 0.1 to 8.1% from 6 to 192 h after application, respectively. Translocation was both acropetal and basipetal, and by 96 h of exposure, the 14C radioactivity was widely distributed throughout the plant. Absorption and translocation was greatly affected by posttreatment temperature. Absorption and translocation were highest (34.9 and 10.6%, respectively) in plants maintained at 35/30 C (14/10 h, day/night), followed by 15/10 C (21.2 and 4.9%, respectively), and was lowest (7.8 and 1.6%, respectively) in plants maintained at 25/20 C. Results suggest that longer periods of leaf exposure to the herbicide and high temperatures could increase glyphosate absorption, translocation to redvine rootstocks, and subsequent control. These data also suggest that effective control of redvine in the field will require glyphosate rates higher than those recommended for use in glyphosate-resistant crops.