The tolerance of 41- and 76-cm tall corn to sethoxydim applied with a precision postemergence-directed sprayer was evaluated in field studies in 1987 and 1988. Corn 41 cm tall at application tolerated directed sethoxydim more than corn 76 cm tall. Sethoxydim plus crop oil concentrate at 110 to 220 g/ha plus 1.3% (v/v) applied to 41-cm corn resulted in little or no injury and no corn grain yield reductions. When sethoxydim at rates exceeding 110 g/ha plus crop oil concentrate was applied to corn 76 cm tall, injury occurred which reduced corn grain yield. Good tolerance of 41-cm tall corn validates the safety and effectiveness of postemergence-directed sethoxydim when applied with precision sprayer equipment.

Certain salts in the spray carrier can antagonize sethoxydim, while other salts overcome the antagonism or increase the herbicide's efficacy. Sethoxydim responses to salts have not been consistent, and the inconsistency is not completely understood. Experiments were conducted in the greenhouse to determine sethoxydim phytotoxicity to oat as influenced by salts in the spray carrier and by air temperature at and immediately after application as they alter the spray deposit characteristics. Thick amorphous spray deposits were related to ineffective sethoxydim-petroleum oil adjuvant treatments applied alone at 10 C or with bentazon at 10 or 25 C. Also, thin deposits with salt residues were related to ineffective sethoxydim treatments, as when sodium bicarbonate was present. Ammonium sulfate reduced or overcame antagonism of sethoxydim phytotoxicity caused by low temperature, bentazon, and sodium bicarbonate and gave thin deposits having close contact with the leaf epicuticular surface but without obvious salt deposits. UV light antagonism of sethoxydim phytotoxicity was different depending on temperature at and shortly after application and depending on salts in the spray mixture. The results indicate that salts in a bentazon spray carrier are in part antagonistic because of their effect on final spray deposit.

Adjuvants enhanced DPX-V9360 control of green foxtail in the greenhouse and field as follows: methylated sunflower oil > petroleum oil > nonionic surfactant WK > nonionic surfactant X-77. DPX-V9360 applied at rates that controlled weeds did not injure corn. Green foxtail control with DPX-V9360 decreased as the amount of simulated rainfall after application increased from 0 to 4 mm and control increased as a 2 mm simulated rainfall was delayed up to 24 h. The influence of simulated rainfall differed with adjuvants, but adjuvants did not overcome the lower green foxtail control with simulated rainfall. DPX-V9360 was more phytotoxic to green foxtail and redroot pigweed at 95 to 100% than 45 to 50% relative humidity and at 20 or 30 C than 10 C after treatment.

Nicosulfuron is used with surfactant or oil adjuvant to enhance postemergence efficacy. Yellow foxtail fresh weight reduction from nicosulfuron varied from 10 to 92% depending upon surfactant in greenhouse experiments. Oil adjuvants differed in enhancement of nicosulfuron phytotoxicity to yellow foxtail or large crabgrass with methylated canola oil being most effective, followed by vegetable oils, and petroleum mineral oil as least effective. Percentage and type of surfactant used as an emulsifier in an oil adjuvant was important to nicosulfuron phytotoxicity especially when applied with the less effective oils, but was of minimal importance when applied with methylated canola oil. Adjuvant effectiveness was directly related to nicosulfuron absorption. These data indicated that recommendations for adjuvants to maximize nicosulfuron phytotoxicity should be limited to specific products.

Reduction of initial top growth of quackgrass with haloxyfop at 0.13 kg ai ha-1 and above in the greenhouse was comparable at the 2-, 4-, and 6-leaf stages. Quackgrass control was not affected by rhizome length in plants grown from 2-node and 10-node rhizome pieces. Removal of quackgrass shoots 6 h after treatment resulted in increased initial topgrowth, regrowth, and rhizome weight at all application rates when compared to treatments with no removal of shoots; however, growth decreased with increasing rates of haloxyfop. Later removal at 24 or 96 h after treatment did not affect quackgrass control, indicating rapid translocation. In field-grown potato, haloxyfop applied at 0.25 kg ha-1 at the 4- to 5-leaf stage controlled more than 80% of quackgrass. Lower rates controlled less than 80% when used alone; but adding cultivation improved control. No adverse effect on potato yield was noted with haloxyfop.