There are limited options for controlling large crabgrass in spring-seeded cool-season turf. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of dithiopyr and quinclorac to control large crabgrass in spring-seeded Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass stands. Quinclorac at 0.84 kg/ha and dithiopyr at 0.56 kg/ha were applied separately at various times prior to seeding and after emergence of Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass. Quinclorac applied once at 2, 4, 8, or 12 weeks after emergence (WAE) or split-applied preplant incorporated (PPI) + 12 WAE will give season-long control of large crabgrass with no injury to spring-seeded Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass. Quinclorac applied PPI or 0 WAE is safe to use in spring seedings, but it will not provide season-long control of large crabgrass. Dithiopyr applied 2 or 4 WAE will control large crabgrass season-long while not injuring spring-seeded Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass. However, dithiopyr applied PPI or 0 WAE will severely limit germination of desirable turf, and dithiopyr applied 8 or 12 WAE will not control mature crabgrass.

Field experiments were conducted from 1987 to 1990 to investigate the combination of cultural and chemical methods for control of Amaranthus spp. in corn. The tolerance of corn hybrids to herbicides or herbicide combinations was dependent on application rate. The early season threshold level for a mixed population of Amaranthus spp. occurred 3.5 wk after emergence. Density of Amaranthus spp. from 155 to 495 plants/m2 caused corn yield reduction of 50%. A quadratic model was derived relating percentage of yield reduction vs. duration of weed competition. The results emphasize the importance of using herbicides, cultural practices, and competition thresholds for an integrated weed control approach of Amaranthus spp. in corn.

Dithiopyr was applied to ‘Penneagle’ creeping bentgrass seedlings 2, 4, and 8 wk after emergence (WAE) in separate studies in the summers of 1992 and 1993 to determine seedling tolerance. Dithiopyr emulsifiable concentrate (IEC) was applied at 0.14, 0.28, 0.42, and 0.56 kg ai/ha, and granular (G) dithiopyr (0.1G) was applied at 0.14, 0.21, 0.28, and 0.42 kg/ha. Dithiopyr applied 2 WAE caused unacceptable injury regardless of rate or formulation. Injury was characterized by stunting of plants, leaf tip die-back, yellowing of older leaves, and a visible decline in quality. Injury increased with increasing rate. In 1992, the EC and G formulation of dithiopyr caused similar responses, whereas in the summer of 1993, the EC caused greater turf injury. Dithiopyr applied 4 WAE caused less injury than when applied 2 WAE, and injury was acceptable. Dithiopyr applied 8 WAE only slightly injured creeping bentgrass at the high rate for both formulations in both years.

Greenhouse and field experiments were initiated to evaluate rapeseed and mustard species as green manure crops for weed suppression. Under greenhouse conditions incorporating 20 g fresh wt leaf and stem tissue of rapeseed, two white mustards, and brown mustard into 450 g Sharpsburg, silty clay loam soil resulted in significant reductions in weed emergence, biomass, and height. Kochia, shepherd's-purse, and green foxtail emergences were reduced by all green manure crops. Redroot pigweed emergence was reduced by all green manure crops except brown mustard, and velvetleaf emergence was reduced by white mustards only. Kochia and shepherd's-purse fresh weights were reduced by all green manure crops, while redroot pigweed and velvetleaf fresh weights were reduced by brown mustard and white mustard var. Salvo. Green foxtail fresh weight was reduced by all green manure crops except rapeseed. With the exception of shepherd's-purse, no relationship between glucosinolate content of the incorporated green manure and suppression of weed growth was found. Under field conditions, early spring-planted green manure crops reduced early season weed biomass in soybean at one of the two locations. Mustard species as green manure crops reduced total weed biomass in soybean by 40% 4 weeks after emergence (WAE) and 49% 6 WAE. Soybean biomass and yield were sometimes reduced by the incorporation of green manure crops in treatments containing weeds; however, hand-weeded plots with green manure treatments yielded similar to hand-weeded plots without green manure.

Proso millet is a short-season summer annual grass that is well adapted to the central Great Plains. Proso millet is commonly planted as a summer crop when winter wheat stands are lost due to adverse conditions. Sulfonylurea herbicides labeled for use in winter wheat prohibit planting proso millet for intervals up to 10 mo following application. A series of greenhouse and field studies determined proso millet tolerance to CGA-152005, metsulfuron, and triasulfuron soil residue. In the greenhouse, proso millet was not affected by soil-applied CGA-152005 at doses up to 160 g ai/ha, while metsulfuron and triasulfuron doses of 4 and 15 g ai/ha, respectively, inhibited proso millet biomass accumulation. In the field, metsulfuron and triasulfuron caused early season stunting and chlorosis at doses two to four times those recommended; however, grain yields were not affected. Organic matter and clay content were highly correlated with proso millet growth response to the herbicides under greenhouse conditions, but in the field, soil pH may have influenced herbicide bioavailability.

Field studies were conducted near Sparr, FL, in 2001 and 2002 to evaluate the response of ‘Valencia 102’ grown for the green peanut market (or boiling peanut) to preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) applications of herbicides registered for dry peanut production (roasted market). Green peanut exhibited excellent tolerance to most PRE and POST treatments. There was minimal injury (8%) from flumioxazin applications when evaluated early season in both years, and peanut quickly recovered. Norflurazon caused chlorosis to peanut foliage (23%) in both years. Yield reduction was observed in 2001 for flumioxazin (15%), metolachlor (20%), and norflurazon (41%) compared with the untreated control. However, there were no yield reductions for any of the PRE treatments in 2002. Bentazon + paraquat early postemergence (EPOST) followed by (fb) 2,4-DB POST, bentazon + paraquat EPOST fb clethodim POST, and imazapic EPOST caused ≤5% injury and had no effect on yield in either year.

Competition from large crabgrass is often responsible for the establishment failure of spring-seeded cool-season turfgrasses. The objective of this study was to determine how soon after seedling emergence dithiopyr could be applied without causing unacceptable damage to Kentucky bluegrass. Dithiopyr at 0.28 and 0.56 kg/ha was applied at various times prior to seeding and after emergence of Kentucky bluegrass in the field and greenhouse. Dithiopyr damaged Kentucky bluegrass seedlings in the greenhouse when applied earlier than 10 d after emergence (DAE) at 0.28 kg/ha and 14 DAE at 0.56 kg/ha. In the field study with heavy large crabgrass infestation, no significant phytotoxicity or long-term thinning occurred with any application of dithiopyr after emergence of Kentucky bluegrass. Dithiopyr applied as early as 3 DAE improved cover of Kentucky bluegrass by reducing competition from large crabgrass. When seeding is done early in spring before large crabgrass germination, dithiopyr could be applied at 0.28 kg/ha 10 DAE or at 0.56 kg/ha 14 DAE without risk of injury. Dithiopyr could be applied as early as 3 DAE on sites with heavy large crabgrass pressure or to late spring seedings when large crabgrass is germinating because the risk of turf thinning is warranted given the benefit of reduced large crabgrass competition for the desired turf.

Field studies were conducted to determine the sensitivity of conventional ‘Motte’ and ‘Pioneer 9831’ soybean to simulated glyphosate drift rates applied during vegetative and reproductive development and the effect of glyphosate on progeny. Glyphosate at 8, 84, and 420 g ae/ha was applied to soybean at the V3, V6, R2, and R5 growth stages. Glyphosate at 8 and 84 g/ha did not reduce soybean plant population, growth, or yield or cause deleterious effects on progeny, regardless of the growth stage at application. Soybean population, growth, and yield were reduced as much as 99 to 100% after application of 420 g/ha glyphosate at the V3 growth stage. Glyphosate at 420 g/ha applied at V6 was less detrimental to soybean compared with the V3 timing. Delaying the application of 420 g/ha glyphosate until R2 and R5 reduced soybean yields 22 to 49% and 43 to 44%, respectively. Soybean injury from 420 g/ha glyphosate was generally transient or less severe when applied at the V6 growth stage or later. However, 420 g/ha glyphosate at R5 (initial podfill) caused a 390 to 450 kg/ha yield reduction compared with the V6 application, which indicated greater soybean vulnerability to glyphosate drift during podfill than in the late-stage vegetative development. Although glyphosate at 420 g/ha was injurious to soybean, regardless of application timing, progeny was not affected.

Field studies were conducted in 2001 and 2002 in the Black Sea Region of northern Turkey to determine the critical period for weed control (CPWC) in corn and the effects of weed interference on corn height. Treatments of increasing duration of weed interference and weed-free period were imposed at weekly intervals from 0 to 12 wk after crop emergence (WAE). The CPWC was determined with the use of 2.5, 5, and 10% acceptable yield loss levels by fitting logistic and Gompertz equations to relative yield data. With 5% yield loss level, the CPWC was 5 wk, starting at 0.2 WAE and ending at 5.2 WAE, which corresponded to the one- to five-leaf stage of corn. The CPWC increased to 8.9 wk, starting at 0 WAE and ending at 8.9 WAE, at the 2.5% yield loss level. At 10% yield loss level, the CPWC decreased to 1.7 wk, starting at 2.1 WAE and ending at 3.8 WAE.

Field studies were conducted in Arkansas in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate mesotrione applied preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) for weed control in corn grown in the Mississippi Delta region of the United States. Mesotrione was applied PRE (140, 210, and 280 g/ha) alone and POST (70, 105, and 140 g/ha), alone or in tank mixtures with atrazine (280 g/ha). Standard treatments for comparison were S-metolachlor/atrazine PRE and S-metolachlor plus atrazine PRE followed by atrazine POST. All PRE treatments controlled velvetleaf, pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, prickly sida, and broadleaf signalgrass 95% 2 wk after emergence (WAE). Mesotrione controlled velvetleaf 89% or more 4 and 6 WAE. Control of morningglory species by mesotrione POST averaged 92% 6 WAE. Prickly sida was controlled at least 90% by all treatments 4 WAE. Mesotrione applied alone PRE and POST controlled broadleaf signalgrass 83 to 91% 4 WAE. All treatments controlled broadleaf signalgrass less than 90% 6 WAE, except treatments that contained S-metolachlor, which gave 94% or greater control. Corn yield ranged from 10.5 to 12.4 Mg/ha and did not differ among treatments. Mesotrione PRE and POST provided excellent control of broadleaf weeds, but S-metolachlor was needed for broadleaf signalgrass control.

A full-season field study was conducted near College Station, TX to determine the competitive interference of Palmer amaranth on cotton development, yield, and fiber properties and to measure Palmer amaranth development as influenced by intraspecific competition. Palmer amaranth densities ranged from 0 to 10 plants/9.1 m of row. Palmer amaranth decreased cotton canopy volume by 45% at 10 wk after cotton emergence (WAE) and cotton biomass by greater than 50% at 8 WAE at the highest density. Cotton yields decreased linearly from 13 to 54% for 1 to 10 Palmer amaranth plants/9.1 m of row. Cotton lint properties were not influenced by Palmer amaranth density. Palmer amaranth volume and individual biomass were not affected by intraspecific competition at any of the densities.

Studies were conducted to develop a weed management strategy for common purslane in lettuce based on available cultural and chemical control methods and an understanding of common purslane biology. A wide-band application of bensulide or pronamide reduced common purslane emergence compared with the standard narrow band. Both narrow and wide bands of pronamide as well as a wide band of bensulide reduced the time required to thin and hoe lettuce. The wide-band pronamide treatment reduced thinning time more than did the narrow band. Overall, none of the herbicide weed management expenses were lower for pronamide treatments than for bensulide and the control. Wide-band bensulide reduced weed management expenses compared with the control, whereas narrow bands did not. Common purslane plants uprooted 1 or 2 wk after emergence (WAE) did not produce any viable seed. Plants uprooted 3 WAE produced from 1 to 60 viable seeds, and seed production increased rapidly from 4 to 6 WAE. Flame and 2% (v/v) glyphosate treatments reduced seed production by uprooted common purslane.

Field experiments were conducted from 1999 to 2001 to evaluate preemergence (PRE) activity of cloransulam on broadleaf weed species and to determine the effectiveness of cloransulam as a PRE herbicide in glyphosate-resistant soybean weed management systems. Cloransulam PRE controlled prickly sida, velvetleaf, and morningglory species even at reduced rates (recommended rate 36 g ai/ha) but only suppressed growth of Palmer amaranth, hemp sesbania, and sicklepod. Cloransulam applied PRE provided initial control or suppression of most weeds, but late-season control declined appreciably. Adding metribuzin to cloransulam PRE generally improved control of hemp sesbania, Palmer amaranth, annual grasses, and morningglory species, leading to soybean yield increases. Control of weeds was greater on a silt loam soil compared with a silty clay soil. Delayed herbicide activation by rainfall or irrigation reduced control of hemp sesbania and prickly sida and affected efficacy more than soil texture. Single postemergence (POST) applications of glyphosate or fomesafen plus fluazifop-P provided 90% or less control of most weed species. When glyphosate POST or fomesafen plus fluazifop-P POST followed PRE applications of cloransulam or cloransulam plus metribuzin PRE, control of all weeds was generally greater than 85%. The highest soybean yields were recorded from treatments that contained sequential PRE followed by (fb) POST herbicide applications. Composition of weed flora determined the effect of herbicide program on soybean seed yield. No yield benefit was gained from the sequential program when the dominant species was Palmer amaranth, which was controlled by glyphosate. When hemp sesbania was the dominant species, PRE herbicides fb glyphosate POST increased yield compared with total POST glyphosate.

During routine use of fluazifop-P-butyl for grass control, county extension agents in Georgia observed control of bristly starbur in grower fields. Experiments to characterize the activity of fluazifop-P-butyl on bristly starbur were conducted under greenhouse conditions in Gainesville, FL, during 2001 and 2002. Fluazifop-P-butyl activity was characterized as a function of herbicide rate and time after application. Commercially available fluazifop-P-butyl was compared to technical fluazifop-P-butyl as a function of herbicide rate and bristly starbur height. Finally, injury to bristly starbur was evaluated when clethodim, diclofop, fluazifop-P-butyl, haloxyfop, quizalofop-p, and sethoxydim were applied at two growth stages. Fluazifop-P-butyl caused >90% injury to bristly starbur with all other post graminicides displaying <8% injury. Nonlinear regression revealed a sigmoidal response of bristly starbur injury to fluazifop-P-butyl. Estimates for 50 and 90% bristly starbur injury (I50 and I90) were 0.07 and 0.14 kg ai/ha, respectively. There was no difference in activity of technical and commercial fluazifop-P-butyl formulations. There was a differential response of bristly starbur to fluazifop-P-butyl over time as a function of plant height at the time of treatment. However, 14 days after treatment (DAT) all treatments displayed >89% injury. Bristly starbur response to fluazifop-P-butyl was similar to injury associated with contact-type herbicides.

A 2-yr field study was conducted in Blackville, SC, to assess the potential for using small-grain cover crops and glyphosate as a means of reducing or eliminating the need for atrazine in irrigated Southeastern corn production. Oats, rye, and wheat were no-till, drill seeded each fall and subsequently desiccated in early spring before corn planting. A bareground conventional tilled treatment also was included. Within each cover crop system, the herbicides evaluated included (1) no herbicide; (2) 1.68 kg ai/ha atrazine plus 1.08 kg ai/ha S-metolachlor at corn planting followed by 0.84 kg ae/ha glyphosate; or (3) two applications of 0.84 kg/ha glyphosate alone, applied sequentially. All systems were compared with conventional tillage without a cover crop with 1.68 kg/ha atrazine plus 1.08 kg/ha S-metolachlor at planting followed by 1.12 kg/ha atrazine. Biomass of rye, oats, and wheat at dessication was 497, 369, and 340 g/m2, respectively. All cover crops delayed early-season corn growth. Detrimental effects on early-season corn growth from the oats cover crop were still apparent 7 wk after emergence (WAE), with corn height and biomass reduced 8 and 19%, respectively. Weed biomass in nontreated plots was reduced 84, 68, and 21% by oats, rye, and wheat, respectively, 3 WAE. Oats were more inhibitory of corn and weed growth than rye, although rye produced greater surface residue, indicating possible allelopathy affects. In the presence and absence of each cover crop, atrazine plus S-metolachlor followed by glyphosate or sequential glyphosate applications alone were effective in providing season-long control of pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, Palmer amaranth, Florida pusley, large crabgrass, and common bermudagrass. Corn yields and gross profit margins in sequential glyphosate–treated plots were equivalent or superior to the standard atrazine-based program, which indicates that effective and economical alternatives to atrazine are available.

Three experiments were conducted in Lewiston, NC, from 1999 through 2002 to evaluate the influence of various application timings of flumioxazin preplant (PP) and postemergence-directed spray (PDS) on cotton injury. In experiment 1, flumioxazin was evaluated in a reduced-tillage system at 71, 105, or 140 g ai/ha in mixture with glyphosate, applied at 28, 14, or 7 d before planting (DBP), followed by irrigation at cotton emergence. Flumioxazin applied PP at any rate and irrigated at emergence injured cotton less than 7% at 2 wk after emergence (WAE) and less than 6% 5 WAE. In experiment 2, flumioxazin was evaluated in a conventional-tillage system at 71 or 105 g/ha as a PDS treatment applied to dry soil, wet soil, and dry soil irrigated immediately after application when cotton was 20 to 30 cm height. Cotton treated with flumioxazin PDS at either rate applied to dry soil, wet soil, or dry soil followed immediately by irrigation was not injured. In the third experiment, flumioxazin at 71 g/ha alone or in mixture with glyphosate at 1.12 g/ha was applied at 30, 21, 14, and 0 DBP in a conventional-tillage system. Flumioxazin applied alone or in mixture with glyphosate applied at any time did not injure cotton. In all experiments, cotton lint yields were not influenced by herbicide treatment.

A field experiment was conducted in 1998 and 1999 at Keiser, AR, to evaluate glyphosate timing and soybean population in reducing hemp sesbania and pitted morningglory interference with dryland and irrigated glyphosate-resistant soybean under a narrow row, no-till production system. Soybean densities following emergence were 247,000, 475,000, and 729,000 plants/ha. Glyphosate was applied at 0.56 kg ai/ha at the V2; V4; V2 and V4; and V2, V4, and R2 stages of soybean. In dry portions of the growing season, glyphosate increased moisture availability for dryland soybean because of control of hemp sesbania and pitted morningglory. As soybean population increased from 247,000 to 729,000 plants/ha, pitted morningglory and hemp sesbania control increased from 60 to 91%, respectively, for the V2 glyphosate application. Control of both species at 14 wk after emergence was at least 90% following the V4 alone treatment and sequential applications, with no differences in control among soybean populations. Untreated, irrigated hemp sesbania produced up to 32 million seeds/ha in 1999. Irrigation did not influence pitted morningglory seed production either year, and untreated pitted morningglory produced a maximum of 1 million seeds/ha in 1998 at 247,000 soybean plants/ha. Three sequential applications of glyphosate reduced pitted morningglory seed production to 9,000 seeds/ha and eliminated hemp sesbania seed production. Soybean yielded 1,297 kg/ha greater under irrigated than dryland conditions, whereas increasing soybean density from 247,000 to 729,000 plants/ha resulted in 416 kg/ha improvement in seed yield. At the densities of pitted morningglory and hemp sesbania present in this study, seed yield of drill-seeded soybean can be maximized following a V4 alone treatment or sequential glyphosate applications.

A study was conducted in 1995 and 1996 to determine the effect of soybean planting date, tillage level, and glyphosate application on sicklepod control and seed production. Soybean was planted in April, May, June, and July into conventional and no-till seedbeds. Herbicide programs evaluated were metribuzin plus chlorimuron preemergence (PRE) followed by (fb) chlorimuron postemergence (POST) (standard program [STD]), metribuzin plus chlorimuron PRE fb glyphosate POST as-needed, and glyphosate POST as-needed. Control was similar across planting dates in both years with slight variations due to weather. The July planting date had the lowest total sicklepod seed production over the 2-yr study. Sicklepod control was better in conventional tillage, but soybean yields were greater in no-till. Herbicide programs that included glyphosate provided greater sicklepod control, lower sicklepod seed production, and higher soybean yields than the STD. Use of glyphosate in combination with later planting dates, especially July, has the potential to prevent sicklepod seed accumulation in the soil while maintaining yields in a dryland soybean production system.

Three experiments were conducted in the field using common cocklebur as a test species to identify weed growth differences due to propagation method and weed age when transplanted (with no crop and with soybean). Two experiments involved weed establishment in noncrop areas using four propagation methods (direct seeded–transplanted, peat tablets, peat pots, and plastic inserts) in a factorial arrangement with three transplant timings (at the cotyledon stage, at two true leaves, and at four true leaves). A direct-seeded method was also included as a check. Propagation methods and transplant timings were contrasted to the direct-seeded method because it was the “most natural” method of those tested. Based on results from the first year, the peat tablet method at the three transplant timings plus the direct-seeded method were used to establish the weed in a field experiment with soybean. In 1996 at 4 wk after emergence (WAE), 8 WAE, and senescence, weeds planted in peat tablets and transplanted at the cotyledon stage were most similar to the direct-seeded method. Peat pots and plastic inserts displayed an intermediate number of differences, whereas direct-seeded–transplanted weeds exhibited the most differences of any propagation method. Transplanting at the two-leaf stage showed more differences, with the four-leaf stage showing even more. In 1997 at 4 WAE, few propagation methods or transplant timings were different from the direct-seeded method. Results from harvests at 8 WAE and at senescence were comparable to those in the previous year. Differences between years at 4 WAE were attributed to greater heat stress and less moisture early in 1996. When common cocklebur was grown in soybean, no differences were detected at 4 WAE between peat tablets transplanted at the cotyledon stage vs. direct-seeded weeds and only one difference when transplanted at the two- and four-leaf stages. At 8 WAE, the early transplant was again the most comparable treatment to direct-seeded weeds, with many differences at the later transplant timings. At senescence, weed differences were no longer apparent. Patterns established for peat tablets with the weed growing alone largely held true when it was grown with soybean.

Field studies were conducted near Archer, FL, and Vienna, GA, in 1995 and 1996 to investigate pyridate and SAN 582 for weed management in peanut. At Archer, pyridate plus 2,4-DB applied 3 wk after emergence resulted in 75, 72, 59, and 85% early-season control of yellow nutsedge, Florida beggarweed, hairy indigo, and sicklepod, respectively. In Vienna, pyridate plus 2,4-DB resulted in 87 and 55% early-season control of yellow nutsedge and Florida beggarweed, respectively. At both Archer and Vienna, SAN 582 applied preplant incorporated prior to pyridate postemergence (POST) increased control of yellow nutsedge, Florida beggarweed, and hairy indigo; however, peanut yield was not improved. In greenhouse studies, pyridate plus 2,4-DB controlled prickly sida, common cocklebur, and ivyleaf morningglory. Reduced weed control was observed in greenhouse studies when SAN 582 was added to the pyridate plus 2,4-DB POST tank mix.