A range of herbicide treatments was evaluated for long-term control of rush skeletonweed, a perennial weed of crops and pastures in North and South America, the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and Australia. Clopyralid (75 to 300 g ai/ha) and clopyralid mixtures with 2,4-D, MCPA, or dicamba were effective, resulting in survival rates of 0 to 4% for the most successful treatments applied for three consecutive seasons. Metsulfuron (9 g ai/ha) and 2,4-D (850 g ai/ha) significantly reduced survival when applied at high rates for three years. Barley yield in the season following control was increased by up to 195 to 199% of yield from untreated plots. Evidence was found for differences in herbicide susceptibility between narrowleaf and broadleaf forms of rush skeletonweed.
