Genetic engineering is a powerful new technology that makes possible rapid development of herbicide tolerances in superior crop varieties. Use of the technology will have a major impact on future agricultural practices and the agrichemical industry. Possible risks as well as significant likely benefits – to agricultural users, corporate suppliers, and the environment – are discussed. Increased product lifetimes, decreased costs, and increased usefulness of broad-spectrum, high-potency, environmentally safe herbicides and herbicide combinations are predicted.

Under certain conditions, application of glyphosate to glyphosate-resistant (GR) cotton can lead to fruit shedding and yield reductions. Field studies were conducted at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station using GR cotton, cv. ‘DeltaPine 5690RR’, to determine if application method and timing affect cotton fruit retention. Glyphosate at 1.12 kg ai ha−1 was precisely postdirected (PD), postdirected with 25% foliage coverage (PDFC), or applied over the top (OT) at the 8- or 18-leaf stage after an initial topical application of 1.12 kg ha−1 glyphosate at the four-leaf stage. In one of the years of this study, 8 PD, 18 PDFC, and 18 OT reduced yield. In 1999 and 2000, 8 PDFC and 8 OT applications of glyphosate caused yield loss, mainly due to lower mean boll weight. Glyphosate applied topically at the eight-leaf stage also affected the Position 1 boll retention throughout the plant in both years. Glyphosate contact with leaves and stems should be avoided when applying glyphosate after the four-leaf stage to prevent possible yield loss.

Because all agricultural chemicals applied to plants eventually reach the soil, and because many herbicides are applied directly to the soil for absorption through plant roots, it is desirable to test the persistence of these reagents in soils of varied types. Many such tests have already been conducted. Additional studies will be necessary as new phytotoxic chemicals are discovered. In this paper tests on some of the herbicides which have been studied during the past decade are described. Most of these herbicides are already in extensive use and much information has already been obtained relative to their reaction in soils. The data included here are submitted in an effort to round out the available information, particularly as related to long time effects of the herbicides in soils.

Several investigators have now reported that phenylurea herbicides inhibit the photochemical activity (Hill reaction) of isolated chloroplasts. Many of the phytotoxic symptoms in plants treated with phenylurea herbicides can be explained on the basis that the herbicides have blocked the photosynthetic mechanism. This action has been suggested as the primary cause of toxicity under field conditions. The metabolic product of biochemical pathways containing the primary site of action of a herbicide can be applied to barley plants in sufficient quantity to eliminate completely some of the toxic symptoms produced by the herbicide. Geoghegan has reported that glucose applications caused an increase in the concentration required for three phenylurea compounds to inhibit growth of Chlorella vulgaris. Therefore, a determination of the effect of carbohydrates on the inhibition of growth of barley seedlings in the presence of several phenylurea herbicides seemed of interest.

A synergistic interaction occurred when sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L. ‘Mono-Hy Al’) were treated with mixtures of ethofumesate (2-ethoxy-2,3-dihydro-3,3-dimethyl-5-benzofuranyl methanesulphonate) and desmedipham [ethyl m-hydroxycarbanilate carbanilate (ester)]. Depending on the stage of weed growth synergistic interactions were also observed on two weed species: wild mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.) L.C. Wheeler ‘pinnatifida’ (Stokes) L.C. Wheeler] and wild oat (Avena fatua L.). Desmedipham penetrated the foliage more slowly than did ethofumesate. The rate of desmedipham penetration was positively correlated with the concentration of its formulants (solvents and adjuvants) in the spraying emulsion, and to a lesser extent with the formulants of ethofumesate. Increasing the spray volume also increased desmedipham penetration. None of these factors affected penetration by ethofumesate. 14C-labeled ethofumesate and desmedipham did not translocate out of treated leaves regardless of the concentration of formulants or active ingredients. These data suggest that the synergistic interaction is mainly due to the increased penetration by desmedipham when applied with ethofumesate.

Artificial shading studies indicated that competition for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) will limit tuber production in purple nutsedge. There were no data available to test whether there is a relationship between incident PAR underneath crop canopies and tuber production of this weed. In this study, the effect of crop competition on net reproductive rates of purple nutsedge tubers was measured under field conditions. Purple nutsedge plants were grown in association with bush beans, maize, maize and beans intercropped, sweet potato, pole beans, and bell pepper in a 2-yr field study in Costa Rica. Measurements were taken on the number of tubers produced during the growing season of each crop, and PAR transmittance was monitored weekly for the duration of the respective cropping cycles. Data on transmittance and incident solar radiation were used to calculate the daily average amount of PAR, available 15 cm above the soil surface. Regressions indicated that average incident PAR accounted for 95% of the variation in net reproductive rates. Average incident PAR also allowed a more precise competitive ranking of crops than either average or minimum transmittance. Bush beans had consistently the lowest average incident PAR values and therefore ranked as the most competitive crop in both years. Our data suggest that no net increase in tuber populations occurs if average incident PAR is below 2.7 MJ m−2 d−1. Differences in the duration of the cropping cycle accounted only for a small proportion of the overall variation in net reproductive rates of purple nutsedge tubers. Information on the competitive ranking of different crops can be used to design crop rotations that could reduce reliance on herbicides on small farms in Costa Rica.

Freshly harvested Drummond rattlebox [Sesbania drummondii (Rydb.) Cory ♯3 SEBDR] seed germinated best after 2.5- to 4-h acid scarification in concentrated sulfuric acid. Optimum temperature for germination was 30 to 35 C. At 10 and 45 C no germination occurred for up to 7 days. Six days after planting in a silt loam soil there was 95 and 80% emergence of Drummond rattlebox from depths of 0.5 and 1 cm, respectively. No emergence was observed from depths of 11 cm or greater 12 days after planting.

Wild cane (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) absorbed equal amounts of 2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine (atrazine) and 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (simazine). The plants metabolized 70% of the atrazine and 30% of the simazine absorbed and translocated to the shoot during 24 hr. The major metabolites formed were hydroxyderivatives and very hydrophilic metabolites which were chromatographically identical to peptide conjugates of atrazine, e.g., S-(4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazinyl-2)-glutathione and S-γ-L-glutamyl-(4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazinyl-2)-L-cysteine. Wild cane formed peptide conjugates of atrazine more rapidly than of simazine, but hydroxylation of these s-triazines occurred at approximately the same rate.

Absorption and translocation of 14C-glyphosate was studied in greenhouse-grown Erythroxylum coca and E. novogranatense. Autoradiography indicated that translocation patterns were similar for both species and that E. novogranatense absorbed and translocated more glyphosate than E. coca. In both young and mature plants, absorption of leaf-applied 14C-glyphosate increased with increased exposure time, and 288 h after application, absorption was higher in E. novogranatense (79 and 52% of applied, respectively) compared with E. coca (60 and 14% of applied, respectively). Similarly, translocation of 14C-glyphosate increased with time in both species. In mature plants, after 288 h more 14C-glyphosate translocated in E. novogranatense (6.9% of applied) than E. coca (2.5%), but the opposite occurred in young plants. Most of the radioactivity translocated from the treated leaf accumulated in the main stems and roots of both species with little accumulation in tissues above the treated leaf. However, most of the applied radioactivity remained in the treated leaf regardless of growth stage and species. The absorption of 14C-glyphosate in young and mature plants of E. coca was 1.3 and 3.6 times lower, respectively, than in E. novogranatense 288 h after treatment. Differences in absorption and translocation of glyphosate in E. coca and E. novogranatense may partially explain the reported differential response to glyphosate.

Residue levels of fluridone {1-methyl-3-phenyl-5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4(1H)-pyridinone} in soil were determined indirectly by measuring the chlorophyll content of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on a Norfolk sandy loam (Typic paleudult; fine loam, siliceous, thermic) 14, 22, 39, and 66 days after a preemergence application of the herbicide. The half-life for 0.22 and 0.45 kg/ha of fluridone was estimated to be 18 days. Phytotoxicity increased with increasing pH in newly-treated soils and in soil sampled 14 days after treatment. Higher chlorophyll levels in wheat grown in soil sampled 39 days after fluridone application indicated a decrease in biologically-active herbicide. Soil removed from the field following later cultivation produced small reductions in chlorophyll at pH 4.0 and 5.2, but at pH 7.0 significant fluridone activity was still present in the soil after 66 days. Cultivation may have increased the surface concentration of the herbicide.

Wild and cultivated proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L. ♯ PANMI) showed increased height and dry mass with increasing photoperiod and flowered under all photoperiods. Increasing planting density decreased height and dry mass and slowed seedhead development in both types. Shading increased plant height and decreased dry mass of both millets and increased germination compared to unshaded treatments. Planting date did not affect germination of freshly collected seed of either millet. Wild proso millet seed had a low germination rate until 8 weeks after panicle emergence, and the rate increased to 22% after 10 weeks. Germination of cultivated proso millet seed was low for 5 weeks after panicle emergence and increased to 92% after 10 weeks.

The aryloxyphenoxypropionate and cyclohexanedione herbicides, which inhibit acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2), have also been hypothesized to act at specific sites on the plasmalemma. An impermeant sulfhydryl binding agent was reported to block the diclofop acid-induced depolarization of the membrane potential (Em) in rigid ryegrass. A correlation between the antagonistic interaction with auxin herbicides both in the field and in the Em response, and the repolarization of Em in herbicide-resistant rigid ryegrass following removal of diclofop acid also provide support for this hypothesis. However, similar membrane responses in resistant grasses and broadleaf species suggest that the membrane response may not be important in the phytotoxic activity of the postemergence graminicides under field conditions. In addition, an antagonistic interaction was not observed in roots of susceptible grasses exposed to combinations of diclofop-methyl and 2,4-D. Furthermore, the repolarization of the Em in diclofop-resistant rigid ryegrass was correlated to differential acidification of the external solution and an increase in the protonated form of diclofop acid, rather than a site-specific interaction at the plasmalemma. Although the membrane response is probably not involved in herbicide phytotoxicity in agricultural systems, a higher extracellular pH in the resistant biotypes of rigid ryegrass may inhibit the movement of these weak-acid herbicides across the plasmalemma, and possibly contribute to increased herbicide tolerance.

Variation in primary dormancy among populations of black nightshade and hairy nightshade collected on two dates was investigated. In addition, emergence characteristics of both species were studied during 2 yr with several populations and soil disturbance regimes. Results revealed a variation in the level of primary dormancy among populations and collection dates in black nightshade. However, fresh seeds of hairy nightshade showed no or negligible germinability, indicating a deeper level of dormancy. Emergence was higher in black nightshade than in hairy nightshade in both years, but with significant differences among populations. In addition, various categories regarding the soil temperature requirements for seedling emergence were found within seed batches. This enables the species to extend their emergence timing and therefore escape from climatic extremes or weed control operations. This information can be used to improve weed management strategies by timing weed control measures to larger seedling flushes.

Glufosinate efficacy was examined in two major grass weed species, rigid ryegrass and sterile oat. Dose–response pot experiments under controlled environmental conditions showed that sterile oat was more successfully controlled by glufosinate than was rigid ryegrass. Glutamine synthetase was extracted from both species and assayed in vitro. Glufosinate readily inhibited glutamine synthetase activity in both species, indicating no differential sensitivity to the target enzyme. Thin-layer chromatography analysis of glufosinate showed no significant metabolism of glufosinate in either species. Absorption and translocation studies with 14C-glufosinate showed that the radiolabel was rapidly absorbed into the leaves of both species. However, translocation of radiolabeled glufosinate from the treated leaf to the meristematic regions was significantly greater in sterile oat, whereas translocation to the tip of the leaf was significantly greater in rigid ryegrass. This indicates that there is a difference in glufosinate distribution between the two species. It is likely that this difference in the distribution of glufosinate results in sterile oat being more easily controlled by glufosinate than is rigid ryegrass.

Toadflax invasion into natural areas has prompted interest in weed management via biological control. The most promising biological control agent currently available for the control of Dalmatian toadflax is Mecinus janthinus, a stem-boring weevil that has been shown to significantly reduce toadflax populations. Some land managers, however, are reluctant to release approved weed biological control agents based on concerns about possible nontarget impacts. Few postrelease examinations of biocontrol impact and host specificity have been performed, despite the call for such information. This study examined the host specificity of Mecinus janthinus, postrelease, in relation to Colorado sites to provide information to managers about its relative safety as a weed biological control agent. This study employed three components: (1) greenhouse choice and no-choice experiments; (2) no-choice caged field experiments; and (3) release-site evaluation of nontarget use of native plant species where this weevil has been released and has established. Both greenhouse and field experiments failed to demonstrate nontarget use of native plant species by M. janthinus in the region where it was studied, even in no-choice starvation tests. We found no evidence of nontarget herbivory on native plants growing at toadflax sites where M. janthinus was well established. These results support the continued use of M. janthinus as a low-risk biological control agent for the management of toadflax in the Rocky Mountain Front Range.

Early spring spray applications of the potassium salt of 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) and certain formulations of 1:1 mixtures of picloram plus (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4,5-T) controlled yaupon (Ilex vomitoria Ait.). Ester formulations of picloram or picloram plus 2,4,5-T were ineffective. Combinations of surfactant and oil: water carriers usually did not improve herbicide performance over water carriers. Granular picloram was superior to sprays when applied as soil treatments at equal rates and controlled yaupon at most dates of application. Post oak (Quercus stellata Wangenh.) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica Muenchh.) were controlled more effectively by picloram or picloram plus 2,4,5-T sprays on the foliage than by granular picloram as a soil treatment. Picloram granules usually killed winged elm (Ulmus alata Michx.) regardless of date of application.

Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) was seeded in rows at approximately 10-day intervals from June 1 to August 30, 1963, and from July 12 to August 31, 1966, in subarctic, south-central Alaska (61.5° N.). Plants from June 20 and earlier seedings produced mature seed as summer annuals; those from seedings during the first 3 weeks of July produced elongated stems and green pods, while those from later seedings produced unelongated, basal rosettes. Seedlings that emerged during July or later were potential winter annuals. No study plants survived the 1963-64 winter. The 1966 plantings survived the 1966-67 winter as follows: July 12, 50%, July 20, 54%, August 1, 93%, and August 12, 23, and 31, 100%. Morphology, time of flowering, and seed pod production of plants surviving the winter also were influenced by planting date the previous growing season. To prevent field pennycress from producing seed as a summer annual, plants that emerge before the middle of July must be eradicated. Plants that emerge during July or later should be destroyed as seedlings or prior to seed production time the following year.

Crop and weed competition studies rarely determine how plant-to-plant interactions alter the structure and physiology of crop roots. Soybean has the ability to detect neighboring weeds and to alter growth patterns including the allocation of resources to root growth. In this study, we hypothesized that low red : far red light ratio (R : FR) reflected from aboveground vegetative tissue of neighboring weeds would alter soybean root morphology and reduce root biomass and nodule number. All experiments were conducted under controlled conditions in which resources of light, water, and nutrients were nonlimiting. Low R : FR reflected from aboveground neighboring weeds reduced soybean seedling root length, surface area, and volume, including the number of nodules per plant. An accumulation of H2O2, an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, a reduction in flavonoid content, and a decrease in 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)–radicle scavenging activity were observed. The reduction in flavonoid content was accompanied by a decrease in the transcription of GmIFS and GmN93 and an increase in transcript levels of several antioxidant genes. These molecular and physiological changes may have a physiological cost to the soybean plant, which may limit the plant's ability to respond to subsequent abiotic and biotic stresses that will occur under field conditions.

Management practices and cropping systems that serve as integrated weed management practices, and at the same time can contribute to improved soil quality, will be important for the sustainability of agricultural production systems. The objective of this study was to assess weed species population density under contrasting tillage (conventional tillage [CT] and no tillage [NT]), residue burning (burn and no burn), and residue level (low and high) treatments after 5 and 6 yr of consistent management in a wheat–soybean double-crop production system. A field experiment was conducted from fall 2001 to fall 2007 in the Mississippi River Delta region of eastern Arkansas on a Calloway silt–loam. Weed assessments were conducted twice during the soybean growing season, before (early season) and after herbicide application (late season) in 2006 and 2007. Total weed density was greater under CT (513 plants m−2) than under NT (340 plants m−2) early in the growing season in 2006, but was greater under NT than CT late in the season in 2007, suggesting that the effectiveness of glyphosate on total weeds differs between CT and NT. Averaged across residue levels, grass species density was greatest in the NT–burn (68 to 167 plants m−2) combination and lowest in the NT–no-burn (41 to 63 plants m−2) early in the growing season in both years. Broadleaf density was greater early (200 to 349 plants m−2) than late (18 to 20 plants m−2) in the growing season under both CT and NT in 2006, but in 2007 broadleaf density did not differ by tillage treatment between seasons. Perennial weed density was greater in the burn (99 plants m−2) than in the no-burn (59 plants m−2) treatment in 2006. No tillage, no burning, and a high residue level appeared to contribute to the suppression of most weed species without reducing herbicide efficiency.

Seeds of honeyvine milkweed [Ampelamus albidus (Nutt.) Britt.] planted immediately after extraction from mature seed pods germinated 84% and after burial overwinter germinated 97%. Seedling emergence was limited to depths of less than 4 inches. Seedling roots developed adventitious buds capable of producing new shoots about 5 weeks after emergence. Preemergence and early postemergence treatments with 2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine (atrazine) gave 100% control of seedlings in greenhouse experiments. Heavy natural infestations of honeyvine milkweed in corn (Zea mays L.) were controlled 95% with 2,4-(dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D) at 0.5 lb/A when treatments were made before the weed started climbing on corn stalks. Later treatments required higher rates of 2,4-D, the use of 2,4,5-(trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4,5-T), or the combination of 2,4-D plus 2,4,5-T for adequate control.