Two separate field studies were conducted at two locations near Crowley, Louisiana, to evaluate early season applications of florpyrauxifen and a prepackaged mixture of halosulfuron plus prosulfuron in water-seeded rice production. In each study, florpyrauxifen and halosulfuron plus prosulfuron were applied at two rates and either applied to the soil surface 48 h before the seeding flooding and seeding, directly onto the pregerminated seed 24 h following seeding and immediately after removal of the seeding flood (SEED), and at pegging. Data suggest that both florpyrauxifen and halosulfuron plus prosulfuron have a role to play in water-seeded rice production. Crop injury of 19% was observed from applications of florpyrauxifen applied directly to pregerminated SEED. Additionally, 28% crop injury was observed when halosulfuron plus prosulfuron was applied directly to SEED. Due to crop injury observations, both herbicides should be avoided when the pregerminated seed is exposed to the soil surface after removing the seeding flood. These data suggest that florpyrauxifen may be a better option for postemergence application, whereas halosulfuron plus prosulfuron may be a better preemergence option in water-seeded rice production. Overall, the findings show that both herbicide technologies will provide adequate early-season weed control in water-seeded rice production.

The photosynthetic responses of rice (C3) and three Echinochloa species (C4), barnyardgrass, early watergrass, and late watergrass, to changes in CO2 intercellular partial pressure, light intensity, and leaf temperature were investigated under laboratory conditions. The three Echinochloa species exhibited photosynthetic responses characteristic of C4 plants. The three weedy species showed higher efficiency for CO2 utilization at low CO2 intercellular partial pressure (CO2i) than rice. Compensation and saturation of CO2i for photosynthesis were lower in the weedy species than in rice. The maximum photosynthetic rates at high light intensity were 33.5, 32.7, 30.5, and 21.5 μmol CO2 m-2s-1 for barnyardgrass, early watergrass, late watergrass, and rice, respectively. Photosynthesis temperature optimum was 35 to 37 C for the three Echinochloa species and 33 C for rice. Overall, under simulated summer conditions, the four taxa showed a photosynthetic ability hierarchy with regard to gas exchange performance as follows: barnyardgrass ≥ early watergrass > late watergrass > rice.