Field experiments evaluated barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, and rhizomatous johnsongrass control with sethoxydim, clethodim, fluazifop-P, quizalofop-P, and fenoxaprop applied alone and with bentazon or chlorimuron when crop oil concentrate or BCH 815 was used. Bentazon strongly antagonized sethoxydim and clethodim. BCH 815 partially reduced the antagonism with sethoxydim and clethodim compared with crop oil concentrate. Chlorimuron was most antagonistic towards fluazifop-P, fenoxaprop, and quizalofop-P, and BCH 815 did not reduce antagonism. Additional experiments evaluated Italian ryegrass control with diclofop applied alone and with bromoxynil, metribuzin, 2,4-D amine, or tribenuron plus thifensulfuron with these adjuvants. The amine formulation of 2,4-D and tribenuron plus thifensulfuron reduced Italian ryegrass control with diclofop, irrespective of the adjuvant.

Persistence of chlorsulfuron and other sulfonylurea herbicides, measured by sorghum injury, was determined on a Pullman clay loam (fine, mixed, thermic family of Torrertic Paleustolls) with soil pH varying from 6.5 to 8.1 in a 3-yr winter wheat-sorghum-fallow crop rotation. As pH increased from 6.5 to 8.0, chlorsulfuron persistence increased greatly. With soil pH of 6.5, chlorsulfuron at 34 g ai/ha used on growing wheat did not injure sorghum planted 16 months later. If pH was 7.5 or above, chlorsulfuron persisted and injured sorghum planted within 25 months after herbicide application. Persistence of sulfometuron and metsulfuron was about the same as chlorsulfuron, all of which persisted longer than metribuzin applied at normal use rates. Four annual applications of chlorsulfuron at 71 g/ha did not accumulate when soil pH was 6.5.

As an extension of weed threshold models in which crop losses are based on weed density, an alternative model for grass weeds in cereal crops is proposed that incorporates the theoretical importance of selection for herbicide resistance, initial weed population frequency, and weed seed dispersal. Simulations suggest optimum weed population levels (thresholds) for maintaining genotypes that are susceptible to control practices and which minimize crop yield reductions. Weed population frequency, in combination with dispersal and competitive traits may determine optimum weed management strategies/Model simulations indicate that understanding how agricultural practices select for “weedy” traits (e.g. herbicide resistance, competitive ability, dispersal potential) may be important in determining weed density thresholds.

Five sulfonylurea herbicides were applied to Typic Boroll soil with pH 8.0 and 2% organic matter in the field and growth chamber to assess their residual effects on following crops. Under irrigated conditions, triasulfuron at 22 g/ha reduced the growth of alfalfa, canola, corn, lentil, pea, potato, and sugarbeet the year after application but caused no injury after two years. Alfalfa GR50 (rate required to reduce growth by 50%) values immediately after application of chlorsulfuron, triasulfuron, and metsulfuron were < 2.2 g/ha and similar in the growth chamber and field. Alfalfa and canola GR50 values immediately after thifensulfuron application in the growth chamber were ≥ 90 g/ha. Alfalfa, canola, flax, and sugarbeet GR50 for tribenuron in the growth chamber were < 4 g/ha. Crop response curves developed by growth chamber experiments could replace many of the multiple site and crop field experiments now required to develop recropping guidelines for residual herbicides.

Methods were developed and evaluated that utilize state of the art weed-sensing technology in row-crop production systems. Spectral differences in green living plants and bare soil allowed ‘real-time’ weed detection, with intermittent spraying of herbicide only where weeds were present. Sensor units were mounted in 0.7-m-wide hooded sprayers providing sensors with an unobstructed view of the area between soybean rows. Single hood and commercial-size eight-row systems were evaluated, and savings in glyphosate spray solution applied using sensors ranged from 63 to 85%, compared to conventional hooded spray systems with continuous application. Weed control by the sensor-controlled spray system was equal to the conventional system. This technology can significantly reduce herbicide usage and decrease production cost without reducing weed control.

Sweet corn and pumpkin were planted no-tillage (NT) into cover crop residue treatments of vetch, rye, crimson clover, and ladino clover controlled with glyphosate, and a bare ground conventional tillage (CT) control. Objectives included evaluation of crop growth, yield, and weed suppression in NT versus CT treatments. Herbicide application was also investigated, with a plus and minus herbicide treatment (alachlor plus cyanazine for sweet corn, or ethalfluralin for pumpkin) as the main factor in the factorial experiment, and cover crops the subfactors. Weed control 4 wk after planting was dependent upon cover crop. The fewest weed numbers and least biomass were found in the ladino clover plots, but clover regrowth and subsequent competition with the cash crop were severe. Herbicides also affected weed biomass at 4 wk after vegetable planting, with least biomass in herbicide-treated plots. Neither cover crop nor herbicide treatment significantly affected weed weight by 8 wk after planting or pumpkin fruit weight at harvest. Pumpkin yield was not influenced by herbicide application. The vetch cover, although harboring greatest weed biomass, produced the greatest total yield (ear weight) in sweet corn. When averaged over cover crop, sweet corn yields were higher in herbicide-treated plots than in untreated ones. Both sweet corn and pumpkin maturity were generally delayed in the absence of herbicide treatments or in the presence of cover crop residues, especially clover and rye residues.

Research was conducted at the Brandon Research Centre to determine the effect of spray solution pH or adjuvants on the efficacy of two cyclohexanedione (CHD) herbicides, clethodim and tralkoxydim, and two aryloxyphenoxypropionate (APP) herbicides, fenoxaprop-P and quizalofop, and if ultraviolet light is a factor influencing their activity. CHD herbicide efficacy decreased as spray solution pH increased above 7. APP herbicide efficacy was not affected by spray solution pH, probably due to their formulation as proherbicide esters. The choice of adjuvant affected CHD herbicide efficacy but not APP herbicide efficacy. Amigo®, Canplus-411® plus ammonium sulfate, and Merge® were usually the most effective adjuvants with the two CHD herbicides. Physical removal of ultraviolet light did not improve APP herbicide efficacy but did improve CHD herbicide efficacy.

A study was conducted in 2001 and 2002 in Texas to evaluate red rice control and crop response of imidazolinone-tolerant rice with imazethapyr on coarse-textured soils. Because imazethapyr was not registered for use on imidazolinone-tolerant rice on coarse-textured soils in Texas, crop response was evaluated to determine whether imidazolinone-tolerant rice yields would be reduced with sequential applications of imazethapyr on soils having greater than 50% sand content. The treatment factors consisted of preemergence (PRE) applications of imazethapyr at 50, 70, or 87 g ai/ ha followed by (fb) preflood (PREFLD) applications of 35 or 50 g/ha. Imazethapyr at 70 g/ha PRE fb 70 g/ha PREFLD was added as a seventh treatment. PRE applications were activated by rainfall or surface irrigation after application, and PREFLD applications were sprayed 1 to 2 d before application of the permanent flood. In both years, 100% red rice control was achieved with all rate combinations. Early-season visual rice injury ranged from 5 to 21% and did not result in yield losses, indicating that imazethapyr is safe on coarse-textured soils.

Field experiments were conducted at Hays and Manhattan, KS, in 2002 and 2003 to determine winter wheat response to simulated drift rates of glyphosate and imazamox. Glyphosate and imazamox at 1/100×, 1/33×, 1/10×, and 1/3× of usage rates of 840 g ae/ha glyphosate and 35 g/ha imzamox were applied individually to wheat in the early jointing or the early flower stages of growth. Wheat injury and yield loss increased as herbicide rate was increased, with minimal effect from either herbicide at the 1/100× rate, and nearly complete kill and yield loss of wheat from both herbicides applied at the 1/3× rate, regardless of growth stage at application. In general, wheat injury and yield reduction were greater from glyphosate than from imazamox. In addition, wheat injury and yield loss were greater from herbicide treatment at the jointing stage than at the flowering stage of development. Correlation analysis suggests that visual injury is an accurate indicator of yield reductions. Germination tests of harvested grain showed that the viability of the wheat seed was not reduced if plants survived the herbicide treatment and produced a harvestable seed.

Variability in glyphosate efficacy has been observed following late day field applications, but the influence of this “time-of-day effect” on weed control and soybean yield is unknown. Additionally, the basis for differences in weed control due to application time of day has not been fully elucidated. In field trials, broadleaf weed biomass was ≥5-fold greater when glyphosate was applied at 6:00 A.M. compared to 6:00 P.M. in three of four site–years. No consistent time-of-day effect was observed on treated grass weeds. Soybean yield was unaffected by treatments, and was similar to the weed-free control. In a greenhouse study, both barnyardgrass and velvetleaf biomass were as much as 25 to 80% greater when glyphosate was applied at 8:00 P.M. vs. 2:00 P.M. Examination of individual components of the time-of-day effect for velvetleaf indicated that leaf angle and time of application accounted for 82 and 18%, respectively, of the biomass change. This research suggests that diurnal changes in leaf movement of velvetleaf account for much of the time-of-day effect, with the remainder likely due to an unknown physiological component.

Two putative glyphosate-resistant (GR) Russian-thistle accessions were collected from fallow fields (wheat-fallow rotation): one from Choteau County, MT (MT-R), and a second from Columbia County, WA (WA-R) in summer/fall of 2015. Greenhouse and outdoor/field whole-plant dose-response studies were conducted to confirm and characterize the levels of glyphosate resistance in these GR accessions relative to known glyphosate-susceptible accessions (MT-S and WA-S from MT and WA, respectively). Based on GR50 values of the progeny plants, the MT-R accession exhibited 4.5-fold and 5.9-fold resistance to glyphosate relative to the MT-S accession under greenhouse and outdoor conditions, respectively. The WA-R accession showed 3.0- to 5.0-fold resistance relative to the WA-S accession in greenhouse experiments, and 1.9- to 7.5-fold resistance in multi-site field experiments. In a separate greenhouse study on alternative POST herbicides to control GR Russian-thistle, bicyclopyrone plus bromoxynil, bromoxynil plus fluroxypyr, bromoxynil plus pyrasulfotole, bromoxynil plus MCPA, paraquat alone, paraquat plus metribuzin, saflufenacil alone, saflufenacil plus 2,4-D, and 2,4-D plus bromoxynil plus fluroxypyr provided effective control (≥95%) and shoot dry weight reduction (up to 98%) of GR accessions. This research confirms the first global case of field-evolved GR Russian-thistle. Best management practices (BMPs); including alternative, effective herbicide programs (based on multiple mechanisms of action highlighted in this study) need immediate implementation to prevent further spread of GR or evolution of multiple HR Russian-thistle populations in this region.

Purple nutsedge is a problematic weed in plasticulture vegetable production due to its ability to penetrate the plastic mulch. Experiments were conducted in the fall 2013 and spring 2014 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, FL, to evaluate a range of PRE herbicides for ‘Charger' and ‘Florida 47’ tomato cultivars tolerance and herbicide efficacy on nutsedge. Fall-applied herbicides did not stunt nor damage either tomato cultivar. Tank mixes applied in the spring that contained EPTC as well as the fomesafen + S-metolachlor + napropamide tended to stunt Charger. The EPTC + fomesafen, the EPTC + fomesafen + S-metolachlor, and the fomesafen + S-metolachlor + napropamide stunted Florida 47. Crop damage in the spring was consistently higher where tank mixes were applied that contained EPTC. In the fall of 2013, S-metolachlor and fomesafen + S-metolachlor reduced nutsedge density by 84 to 90% compared to the nontreated control; in the fall of 2014, napropamide + S-metolachlor reduced nutsedge density by 88% compared to the nontreated control. In the spring of 2013 halosulfuron and a tank mix of EPTC + S-metolachlor reduced nutsedge density by 25% compared to the nontreated control. None of the herbicide treatments had a consistent effect on yield, although Florida 47 yields tended to be lower where tank mixes containing EPTC were applied.

Degradation of Great Plains rangelands can be linked to past management practices that reduced native species diversity and accelerated establishment and expansion of exotic weeds and less desirable native species. Leafy spurge is an exotic perennial weed that infests more than 1 million ha in the northern Great Plains and reduces rangeland carrying capacity by competing with desirable forages and causing infested areas to be undesirable to cattle and wildlife. Research was conducted to determine the feasibility of using herbicides to suppress leafy spurge and other resident vegetation, which facilitated planting and establishment of native tallgrasses. Four experiments were conducted where 0.28, 0.56, and 0.84 kg ai/ha imazapyr and 0.1 kg ai/ha sulfometuron were applied alone and in combination and 0.84 kg ai/ha glyphosate was applied to leafy spurge-infested range sites in fall 1991 near Ainsworth, NE, and in fall 1991, 1992, and 1993 near Ansley, NE. Research areas were burned about 200 d after herbicide application to reduce plant residue. Monoculture stands of big bluestem and switchgrass were then no-till planted in each experiment and indiangrass was no-till planted in experiments initiated at Ansley in 1992 and 1993. Yields of the planted grasses, leafy spurge, and other vegetation were measured in August at each location starting the year after planting. Imazapyr was an essential component of treatments applied before planting to facilitate establishment of highly productive stands of the tallgrasses. Generally, yields were maximized by fall treatments of 0.28 kg/ha imazapyr + 0.1 kg/ha sulfometuron for big bluestem, 0.84 kg/ha imazapyr for indiangrass, and 0.84 kg/ha imazapyr + 0.1 kg/ha sulfometuron for switchgrass. Yields of the planted grasses were frequently four times greater where these herbicides were applied compared to where glyphosate or no herbicide were applied. Leafy spurge yields were usually reduced in areas where tallgrass yields were greatest. The sequential combination of suppressing vegetation with fall-applied herbicides, burning standing dead plant residue, then no-till planting desirable native tallgrasses in the spring increased productivity of these leafy spurge-infested range sites.

Research was conducted to evaluate the sensitivity of cover crops to a low rate of soil-applied herbicides and investigate the likelihood of herbicide carryover to fall-seeded cover crops following an irrigated corn crop. In the sensitivity study, herbicides were applied at a 1/16×rate (to simulate four half-lives) 1 d after cover crop planting, whereas for the carryover study residual herbicides were applied at a 2×rate at the maximum label corn height or growth stage and cover crops sown immediately after corn harvest. In the sensitivity experiment, atrazine, diuron, fluridone, fomesafen, metribuzin, pyrithiobac, and sulfentrazone reduced emergence of the leguminous cover crops Austrian winterpea, crimson clover, and hairy vetch. However, reduced biomass production of leguminous cover crops in the spring was only observed for atrazine, fluridone, and pyrithiobac. For rapeseed, atrazine, flumioxazin, fluridone, pyrithiobac, pyroxasulfone, sulfentrazone, and tembotrione reduced emergence, but biomass production was reduced only by atrazine and fluridone. Conversely, wheat, cereal rye, barley, oats, and triticale were not affected by soil-applied herbicides. Barley was the only cereal cover crop that showed biomass reduction due to the application of flumioxazin, fluridone, mesotrione, S-metalochlor, and sulfentrazone. In the carryover study, with the exception of crimson clover, Austrian winterpea, cereal rye, hairy vetch, rapeseed, and wheat showed no negative affect on biomass production following a 2×rate of postemergence-applied residual herbicide in corn.

Tolerance of nine rice varieties to clomazone at 1.12 kg ai/ha was evaluated from 2000 to 2002. Rice injury was 27 to 51% at 14 d after treatment (DAT) and reduced to 5 to 30% at 42 DAT with long-grain ‘Drew’ having less injury compared with all medium-grain varieties. Medium- grain ‘Earl’ and ‘LL-401’ were injured most compared with all other varieties at 42 DAT. Plant height was reduced by clomazone with all varieties except Drew at 34 DAT. Clomazone also reduced plant population of Earl, LL-401, and ‘Wells’, but other varieties were not affected at 34 DAT. However, rice grain yield reduction was only observed with LL-401. These results indicate that differential tolerance to clomazone exists among rice varieties.

A field experiment was conducted near Davis, CA, during the 2003 and 2004 summer growing seasons to compare weed control, yield, and fruit quality in different irrigation and tillage systems in processing tomato. Trial design was a subplots with the main plots as subsurface drip irrigation or furrow irrigation, subplots were standard tillage or conservation tillage, and sub-subplots were herbicide or no herbicide. The hypothesis was that subsurface drip irrigation could limit surface soil wetting and thus inhibit germination and growth of weeds equal to or better than standard tillage and/or herbicides. In both 2003 and 2004, weed densities in the subsurface drip irrigation treatments were over 98% lower than the levels in furrow irrigation treatments. In addition, weed densities were lower in the subsurface drip–conservation till–no herbicide treatment than in any of the furrow irrigation treatments, including the furrow irrigation–standard tillage–herbicide treatments. The time required for a hand-hoeing crew to remove weeds was 5 to 13 times greater in furrow irrigation treatments compared to subsurface drip irrigation treatments. Weed biomass on beds at tomato harvest was 10 to 14 times greater in the furrow systems as compared to the subsurface drip irrigation systems. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of subsurface drip irrigation in controlling weed germination and growth, compared to tillage or herbicide applications. Tomato yield was higher in the subsurface drip irrigation treatment compared to furrow irrigation in 2004. Herbicide treatment increased yield in 2004, but only in the furrow irrigation treatment in 2003. Fruit brix level was not related to treatment in 2003, but was lower in the subsurface drip irrigation plots in 2004. These results indicate that subsurface drip irrigation can reduce weed competition in conservation tillage systems, without requiring herbicide applications.

Eight herbicide treatments per crop were evaluated for hairy vetch and crimson clover cover-crop control in no-till corn and cotton at two locations in North Carolina. Paraquat alone or combined with dicamba, 2,4-D, or cyanazine, and cyanazine alone, controlled clover the best in both crops. All herbicide treatments, except glyphosate alone, controlled at least 89% of hairy vetch in corn. However, only 2,4-D and cyanazine alone or combined with glyphosate controlled greater than 89% of hairy vetch in cotton. Except for poor control of hairy vetch and crimson clover by glyphosate alone, reduced legume control did not consistently decrease corn or cotton yield. Weed control was reduced in crimson clover treated with glyphosate alone, but control was similar among the remaining herbicide treatments. Effectiveness of legume control did not influence the N concentration of corn or cotton. Corn stand, height, and yield were greater in hairy vetch than in crimson clover. Seed cotton yield did not differ between vetch and clover.

Field experiments were conducted from 1989 through 1991 to determine the effect of DPX-PE350 applied postemergence over-the-top on cotton yield and fiber quality. DPX-PE350, at rates ranging from 50 to 280 g ae ha−1 applied to cotton in the VC to R6 growth stages, had no adverse effect on seed cotton yield, micronaire, fiber length, fiber length uniformity, or fiber strength. Cotton injury was 10% or less in all experiments.

Volunteer potato is a perennial weed that is difficult to control in crop rotations. It was our objective to build a small, low-cost robot capable of detecting volunteer potato plants in a cornfield and thus demonstrate the potential for automatic control of this weed. We used an electric toy truck as the basis for our robot. We developed a fast row-recognition algorithm based on the Hough transform and implemented it using a webcam. We developed an algorithm that detects the presence of a potato plant based on a combination of size, shape, and color of the green elements in an image and implemented it using a second webcam. The robot was able to detect potatoes while navigating autonomously through experimental and commercial cornfields. In a first experiment, 319 out of 324 images were correctly classified (98.5%) as showing, or not showing, a potato plant. In a second experiment, 126 out of 141 images were correctly classified (89.4%). Detection of a potato plant resulted in an acoustic signal, but future robots may be fitted with weed control equipment, or they may use a global positioning system to map the presence of weed plants so that regular equipment can be used for control.

Field experiments were conducted in 1988 and 1989 to (i) evaluate annual weed control with nicosulfuron applied at rates of 17 to 70 g ai/ha with several additives and (ii) evaluate annual weed control with nicosulfuron applied at rates of 17 to 105 g/ha at three corn growth stages. In 1988, in the adjuvant study, giant foxtail control increased linearly with no additive or with urea ammonium nitrate as the rate of nicosulfuron increased. Petroleum oil concentrate, nonionic surfactant, and a combination of either petroleum oil concentrate or nonionic surfactant with urea ammonium nitrate applied with nicosulfuron increased giant foxtail control to 90% or greater regardless of rate both years. Nicosulfuron at all rates with no additive and in combination with all additives controlled 93% or more of redroot pigweed and Pennsylvania smartweed both years. Corn grain yield was related to the level of giant foxtail control. In the rate by corn growth stage study, giant foxtail, redroot pigweed, and Pennsylvania smartweed control was 90% or greater regardless of nicosulfuron rate or application stage both years. Corn grain yield was related more to the duration of weed competition than the level of weed control with grain yield 8 to 12% lower with nicosulfuron applied at the V7 growth stage compared with the V3 or V5 growth stage.