Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate weed control and cotton response from PRE herbicides followed by (fb) trifloxysulfuron POST. In the first study, trifloxysulfuron at 3.8, 7.5, or 15 gai/ha was applied POST with or without pendimethalin at 690 gai/ha applied PRE in a factorial treatment arrangement. Visible crop injury occurred after all trifloxysulfuron applications, but injury was not affected by application of pendimethalin PRE. Cotton injury was 19 to 22% 7 d after POST treatment (DAT) from trifloxysulfuron at 3.8 to 15 g/ha but was 5 to 12% 28 DAT. Trifloxysulfuron controlled smooth pigweed, common ragweed, and common cocklebur, but spurred anoda, large crabgrass, goosegrass, and stinkgrass were not controlled by trifloxysulfuron. Morningglory species (tall morningglory, ivyleaf morningglory, and pitted morningglory) control with trifloxysulfuron at 7.5 and 15 g/ha was at least 79%, whereas velvetleaf was controlled 66% over all years. In a second study, clomazone, pendimethalin, pendimethalin plus fluometuron, pyrithiobac, or flumioxazin were applied PRE fb 7.5 g/ha trifloxysulfuron POST. Cotton injury from PRE herbicides fb trifloxysulfuron was 13 to 39% 7 DAT. Spurred anoda control exceeded 54% only with treatments that included flumioxazin or pyrithiobac PRE. Common lambsquarters, common cocklebur, and morningglory species were controlled at least 75% with all treatments that included trifloxysulfuron POST, whereas pendimethalin and clomazone usually controlled annual grasses. In both studies, the application of pendimethalin PRE controlled annual grass species and improved control of smooth pigweed and common lambsquarters over that controlled by trifloxysulfuron POST without a PRE herbicide.

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.

Common dandelion has developed into a troublesome agronomic weed for no-tillage corn producers. A postemergence herbicide application is often required to reduce common dandelion competition. Field experiments were conducted in 2002 and 2003 to evaluate 22 postemergence herbicide treatments for efficacy on established populations of common dandelion in no-tillage corn. All herbicides were applied to five- to six-collar corn at registered rates with typical adjuvants. At 28 d after treatment (DAT) the most effective treatments included glufosinate and mesotrione providing at least 76% control of common dandelion. All other herbicide treatments provided less than 40% common dandelion control 28 DAT. Common dandelion control was evaluated 56 DAT when regrowth of treated plants was observed for some herbicide treatments. AT 56 DAT, dicamba + diflufenzopyr was the most effective treatment, providing 83% control of common dandelion. In 2002, all herbicide treatments, with the exception of flumiclorac, resulted in corn yields greater than the nontreated.

Common dandelion has developed into a troublesome agronomic weed for no-tillage corn and soybean producers in Michigan and throughout the north central region of the United States. Field experiments were conducted on established populations of common dandelion in 2001 to 2002 and 2002 to 2003 to evaluate the effect of preplant and sequential herbicide applications on established populations of common dandelion. Preplant treatments of glyphosate or 2,4-D ester were applied early fall, late fall, early spring, and late spring. For both glyphosate and 2,4-D ester, the fall applications were more effective than the spring applications. Glyphosate at 840 gae/ha was more effective than 2,4-D ester at 1,120 gae/ha at each application timing. A single application of glyphosate or 2,4-D ester applied either in the fall or spring did not provide season-long control of common dandelion. Sequential treatments of glyphosate following preplant applications of either glyphosate or 2,4-D ester provided season-long control of common dandelion.

A high proportion of viable pollen grains must germinate to study the physiology of pollen growth to reduce the confounding effects of environmental influences on pollen germination. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the nuclear state and develop a suitable medium and culture method for in vitro germination of johnsongrass pollen. Johnsongrass pollen was trinucleate, and in vitro tests for pollen viability using Alexander's stain and a fluorochromatic reaction method (FCR) indicated johnsongrass pollen was viable (92.6 to 98.4%). A factorial treatment arrangement of four concentrations of sucrose, two concentrations of boric acid, and two concentrations of calcium nitrate were used to determine the optimum pollen-germination medium composition in suspension culture, agar culture, and cellophane membrane culture. Germination was highest in a suspension culture with a medium containing 0.3 M sucrose, 2.4 mM boric acid, and 3 mM calcium nitrate. Pollen germination using this medium was 78.9% when anthers were harvested just before anthesis.

Field trials were conducted in the spring of 2004 and the spring and summer of 2005 to evaluate cantaloupe tolerance to rimsulfuron and halosulfuron applied to cantaloupe at the two-leaf stage, five- to six-leaf stage, plants having 30- to 40-cm vines, and plants having up to 5-cm-diam melons. Additionally, control of eight weed species was evaluated in these trials in 2005. Cantaloupe plant injury from rimsulfuron differed among application timings and trials, but applications were generally more injurious when applied at the two early crop stages. Halosulfuron was less injurious to cantaloupe, but 31 and 14% injury occurred following the two-leaf and five- to six-leaf applications, respectively, in the second trial in 2005. In the first trial of 2005, number of marketable melons the first week of harvest was lower for all halosulfuron applications compared with the nontreated control (30 to 37% reduction). In the second trial of 2005, total number of marketable melons was comparable to the nontreated control for each of the halosulfuron treatments, except the five- to six-leaf and up to 5-cm-diam melon applications. Injury estimates were poor indicators of occurrence or absence of delays in crop earliness or number of marketable melons. Rimsulfuron was generally effective (≥ 80% control) in controlling seedling Texas panicum, large crabgrass, tall morningglory, pitted morningglory, and Palmer amaranth, but was ineffective against yellow and purple nutsedge and goosegrass. Halosulfuron was effective in controlling yellow and purple nutsedge, but was ineffective against Texas panicum, large crabgrass, goosegrass, pitted morningglory, tall morningglory, and Palmer amaranth.

Field studies were conducted in 1999, 2000, and 2001 to evaluate cotton response to trifloxysulfuron applied postemergence over the top (POT) or postemergence-directed (PDIR) at various growth stages. Treatments included trifloxysulfuron at 3.8 or 7.5 g ai/ha plus nonionic surfactant (NIS) applied POT to one-, three-, and five-leaf cotton or applied PDIR to 30- and 45-cm tall cotton. Crop injury 7 d after treatment (DAT) varied by year and ranged from 17 to 50%, 19 to 46%, and 5 to 23% with trifloxysulfuron applied POT to one-, three-, and five-leaf cotton, respectively. Injury 21DAT averaged 22, 16, and 6% with one-, three-, and five-leaf applications respectively. Trifloxysulfuron applied PDIR injured cotton 2 to 9% 7 DAT and 0 to 12% 21 DAT. At 30 DAT, cotton height was reduced with one-leaf trifloxysulfuron application, whereas differences were not present across other treatments. Heights at 90 days after planting (DAP) did not differ between treatments. Neither trifloxysulfuron rate or application timing negatively affected cotton yield or fiber quality.

To date, there have been no reports of Dalmatian toadflax serving as a host for cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Infestations of Dalmatian toadflax may serve as a reservoir of CMV, thereby facilitating aphid transmission of CMV to both agricultural crops and native plants. The goal of this study was to determine whether Dalmatian toadflax is a host for CMV. Dalmatian toadflax seedlings were randomly assigned to two treatments (18 replicates/treatment): no inoculation (control) and inoculation with CMV (Fast New York strain). The Dalmatian toadflax seedlings were inoculated by standard mechanical methods and tested for the presence of CMV using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ten of the 18 CMV-inoculated toadflax plants tested positive for the virus; 6 of the 18 displayed systemic mosaic chlorosis and leaf curling. All control plants tested negative. Transmission electron microscopy obtained from CMV-positive plants confirmed the presence of CMV based on physical properties. To verify CMV infestation, tobacco plants were assigned to the following treatments (six replicates/treatment): no inoculation (control), CMV-negative (control) inoculation, and a CMV-positive inoculation. Plants were inoculated by standard methods. Five of the 6 tobacco plants treated with the CMV-positive inoculum tested positive for CMV using ELISA. All control plants tested negative for the virus.

Studies were conducted to evaluate weed management systems in nontransgenic, bromoxynil-resistant, and glyphosate-resistant cotton in strip- and conventional-tillage environments. Tillage did not affect weed control, cotton lint yields, or net returns. Early season stunting in strip-tillage cotton was 5% or less, regardless of herbicide system or cultivar and was transient. Excellent (> 90%) control of common lambsquarters, common ragweed, and Ipomoea species, including entireleaf, ivyleaf, pitted and tall morningglories, jimsonweed, prickly sida, and velvetleaf, was achieved with systems containing bromoxynil, glyphosate, and pyrithiobac early postemergence (EPOST). Glyphosate systems provided better and more consistent control of fall panicum and large crabgrass than bromoxynil and pyrithiobac systems. Bromoxynil and pyrithiobac EPOST did not control sicklepod unless applied in mixture with MSMA and followed by (fb) a late postemergence-directed (LAYBY) treatment of prometryn plus MSMA. Palmer amaranth was controlled (> 90%) with all glyphosate and pyrithiobac systems and with the bromoxynil system that included a broadcast soil-applied herbicide treatment. Bromoxynil systems without a broadcast soil-applied herbicide treatment controlled Palmer amaranth 87% or less. Herbicide systems that included glyphosate EPOST controlled sicklepod with or without a soil-applied herbicide treatment. The highest yielding cotton included all the glyphosate systems and bromoxynil systems that contained a soil-applied herbicide treatment. Nontransgenic systems that included a soil-applied herbicide treatment yielded less than a system with soil-applied treatment plus glyphosate EPOST. Net returns from glyphosate systems were generally higher than net returns from bromoxynil or pyrithiobac systems.

Experiments were conducted at Minlaton on the Yorke Peninsula of South Australia in 2004 and 2005 to study the effect of four different seeding systems and dinitroaniline herbicides on the seedling emergence and growth of rigid ryegrass in wheat. The seeding systems were low soil-disturbance discs (DayBreak and K-Hart) and high soil-disturbance tines (narrow point and Ribbon seeder); and the herbicides were oryzalin, pendimethalin, and trifluralin at rate of 0.72 kg ai/ha. The total seedling emergence of rigid ryegrass was higher in nontreated plots planted with the tines compared with the discs. In general, oryzalin was the least-effective herbicide in controlling emergence of rigid ryegrass. All herbicides were more effective in reducing the number of plants, spikes, dry matter, and seed production of rigid ryegrass in combination with tines than with discs. However, in the absence of herbicides, plant and spike numbers, plant dry weight, and seed production of rigid ryegrass were significantly lower where discs were used to sow, rather than tines. In the absence of herbicide, rigid ryegrass was less competitive with wheat under the disc-sown systems. The response of grain yield to herbicides was greater under the tine-sown systems than the disc-sown systems.

Field studies were conducted near Oxnard, CA, to assess propagule survivability of two annual and two perennial weed species in 7.6 m3 static piles of fresh or aged yard waste mulch over a 56 d period. Mulch temperatures > 60 C generated at depths > 30 cm in fresh mulch caused all weed propagule mortality, whereas sublethal temperatures at shallower depths in fresh, and at all depths in aged piles allowed propagule survival. A controlled environment laboratory experiment suggested ≥ 1 d exposure provides 100% mortality of seed of little mallow at 72 C, California burclover seed (without burs) at 85 C, rhizomes of bermudagrass at 69 C, and nutlets of yellow nutsedge at 70 C. These studies indicate that reinfested, aged mulch does not produce sufficient heat to destroy weed propagules and, therefore, may become a weed-carrying substrate. Fresh mulch should be mixed to expose surviving weed propagules at shallow depths to lethal temperatures found at 30 cm or deeper in fresh mulch piles.

Invasive annual grasses, such as medusahead, can reduce forage production capacity and interfere with revegetation projects in California rangelands. Because of the taxonomic similarity to other more desirable grasses, achieving selective control of invasive annual grasses can be difficult. In selectivity trials conducted in Yolo and Siskiyou counties, CA, the herbicide imazapic gave control of many nonnative annual grasses yet provided some level of selectivity to specific perennial grasses used in revegetation projects throughout the western United States. The selectivity difference between newly seeded perennial and annual grasses was greater with PRE applications than with POST treatments. Both perennial and annual grasses within the tribe Hordeae were more tolerant to imazapic than other grass species. In addition, field experiments were conducted at three sites in northern California (Yuba, Yolo, and Lassen counties) and one in southern Oregon (Lake County) to test the response of imazapic to varying management conditions. Imazapic was applied PRE in fall (and also spring in Lake County) at rates from 35 to 210 g/ha on undisturbed rangeland, in comparison with rangeland cleared of standing plant material and thatch by either tillage, mowing and raking, or burning. Imazapic generally showed enhanced weed control when applied following disturbance. Rates as low as 70 g/ha, if combined with thatch removal, provided significant suppression of medusahead. In addition, disturbance alone generally reduced medusahead cover in the following year. Although imazapic showed potential for control of medusahead and other annual grasses, its selectivity window was relatively narrow.

Producers in the Great Plains are exploring alternative crop rotations with the goal of reducing the use of fallow. In 1990, a study was established with no-till practices to compare eight rotations comprising various combinations of winter wheat (W), spring wheat (SW), corn (C), chickpea (CP), dry pea (Pea), soybean (SB), or fallow (F). After 12 yr, we characterized weed communities by recording seedling emergence in each rotation. Downy brome, cheat, redroot pigweed, and green foxtail were the most common weeds observed. Weed community density was highest for W–CP, being 13-fold greater than with Pea–W–C–SB. Downy brome and cheat were rarely observed in rotations where winter wheat was grown only once every 3 or 4 yr; in contrast, density of the brome species was 75-fold greater in W–CP. Warm-season weeds were also affected by rotation design; density of redroot pigweed and green foxtail was sixfold greater in W–C–CP compared with Pea–W–C–SB or W–F. One rotation design that was especially favorable for low weed density was arranging crops in a cycle of four, with two cool-season crops followed by two warm-season crops.

Bamboos are grass species that can escape cultivation and invade lawns, landscapes, and other areas. Limited information is available on ways to control invasive bamboo species. Greenhouse and field studies were initiated to determine the level of bamboo control provided by a single application of selected PRE and POST herbicides. Bamboo species included in the study were golden bamboo in greenhouse experiments and red-margined bamboo in field experiments. In greenhouse trials, MSMA, quinclorac, dithiopyr, clethodim, fenoxaprop, and sethoxydim did not control either species. Glyphosate, glufosinate, and fluazifop significantly reduced bamboo-shoot fresh weight, although regrowth occurred after a single application. In field trials, bamboo control with dichlobenil in the 2002 and 2004 experiments was less than 23%. For the study initiated in 2002, glyphosate and imazapyr provided 76% and 98% bamboo control, respectively, at 58 wk after treatment (WAT). By 161 WAT (approximately 3 yr after treatment), bamboo-control ratings were 40% with glyphosate and 85% with imazapyr. For the study initiated in 2004, at 61 WAT, glyphosate and imazapyr provided 46 and 88% control of bamboo, respectively.

Proso and foxtail millets are regionally important dryland crops for the semiarid portions of the Central Great Plains. However, few herbicides are registered for use in either crop. The efficacy of carfentrazone was studied in proso millet from 2003 through 2005 at the University of Nebraska High Plains Agricultural Laboratory located near Sidney, NE, and in foxtail millet in 2004 and 2005 at the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center near Lingle, WY. Carfentrazone was applied POST at 9.0, 13.5, and 18.0 gai/ha with combinations of 2,4-D amine, prosulfuron, and dicamba. Although leaves of treated plants exhibited localized necrosis, leaves emerging after treatment were healthy. Grain and forage yields were not affected by the application of carfentrazone. Dicamba and 2,4-D amine provided visual control of 30% or less for buffalobur. Adding carfentrazone to one or both of these herbicides improved buffalobur control to 85% or greater. Carfentrazone applied at 18.0 g/ha improved Russian thistle, kochia, and volunteer sunflower control in 2003, when plants were drought-stressed, but did not help with these and other weeds during wetter years. Carfentrazone provides proso millet producers with a way to selectively control buffalobur, a noxious weed in several western states. In foxtail millet, carfentrazone provides POST broadleaf weed control with little risk for serious crop injury. Crop injury has been a concern with 2,4-D, which is currently the only other herbicide registered for use in foxtail millet.

On-farm trials were conducted in 16 North Carolina peanut fields to obtain estimates of scouting times and quality of herbicide recommendations for different weed scouting methods. The fields were monitored for weed species and population density using four scouting methods: windshield (estimate made from the edge of the field), whole-field (estimate based on walk through the field), range (weed densities rated on 1–5 scale at six locations in the field), and counts (weeds estimated by counting at six locations in the field). The herbicide application decision support system (HADSS) was used to determine theoretical net return over herbicide investment and yield loss ($ and %) for each treatment in each field. Three scouts estimated average weed population densities using each scouting method. These values were entered into HADSS to obtain treatment recommendations. Independently collected count data from all three scouts were combined to determine the optimal treatment in each field and the relative ranking of each available treatment. When using the whole-field method, scouts observed a greater number of weed species than when using the other methods. The windshield, whole-field, and range scouting methods tended to overestimate density slightly at low densities and underestimate density substantially at high densities, compared to the count method. The windshield method required the least amount of time to complete (6 min per field), but also resulted in the greatest average loss. Even for this method, recommendations had theoretical net returns within 10% of the return for the optimal treatment 80% of the time. The count method appears to have less economic risk than the windshield, whole-field, and range scouting methods.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to determine the effect of glyphosate on efficacy of bentazon for glyphosate-resistant (GR) canola control and of quizalofop for GR corn control. Control also was evaluated for glyphosate plus bentazon on wild buckwheat and wheat and glyphosate plus quizalofop on velvetleaf. Glyphosate plus bentazon synergistically controlled GR canola and wild buckwheat but were antagonistic for wheat control. Glyphosate plus quizalofop were additive for control of GR corn and velvetleaf. Inert ingredients in glyphosate formulations, i.e., cationic surfactant, NH4, or K, contributed to glyphosate synergism of bentazon, but the major contribution came from glyphosate itself. Efficacy of glyphosate plus bentazon on GR canola was enhanced by ammonium nitrate (AMN), ammonium sulfate (AMS), nonionic surfactant (NIS), or silicone surfactant (SiS) but was slightly decreased by methylated seed oil (MSO) or petroleum oil concentrate. AMN, AMS, NIS, and SiS partially overcame the antagonism of bentazon to glyphosate for wheat control. NIS enhanced phytotoxicity of glyphosate plus quizalofop to GR corn and velvetleaf, but the enhancement was less than by SiS or MSO to GR corn and SiS or AMS to velvetleaf.

An experiment was conducted at one location in 1999 and two locations in 2000 to determine the critical weed-free period for peach in North Carolina. The cultivars for the three locations were ‘Contender’, ‘Norman’, and ‘Summerprince’. Weed-free intervals of 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 wk after peach tree bloom were established. Paraquat at 1.1 kg ai/ha plus nonionic surfactant at 0.25% v/v was applied every 10 d, after treatments were initiated at peach bloom, to maintain weed-free plots. Large crabgrass, hairy vetch, and smooth crabgrass were the primary weeds in Contender. Horseweed, smooth crabgrass, and large crabgrass were the primary weeds in Norman. Bermudagrass, smooth pigweed, and common lambsquarters were the primary weeds in Summerprince. No differences in trunk cross-sectional area were observed between the weed-free periods. Maintaining the orchard floor weed-free for 12 wk after peach tree bloom resulted in the greatest fruit size (individual fruit weight and diameter), total yield, and fruit number.

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the leaching of isoxaflutole and the safeners R-29148 and furilazole to test the hypothesis that safeners and isoxaflutole were moving at different rates through the soil profile. The isoxaflutole movement down soil columns was measured by evaluating the visible injury on crop and weed bioassay species seeded into columns split longitudinally. The movement of the safeners was measured by evaluating the isoxaflutole injury to the crop assay species compared to the injury observed without a safener present. The results indicated that a heavy rainfall event could move isoxaflutole through the soil profile in a pulse pattern. If the herbicide pulse moved into the rooting zone of corn, injury resulted. The herbicide safeners leached more slowly than isoxaflutole. For the safeners to be effective, their movement needed to be similar to that of isoxaflutole. Applying a polymeric carrier with the WDG formulation of isoxaflutole reduced leaching compared to two commercial isoxaflutole formulations.

The response of new, high-yielding rice cultivars to varying barnyardgrass control levels and rice plant densities is not well understood. Studies were conducted in 2002 through 2004 at the Rice Research and Extension Center near Stuttgart, AR, to evaluate three new rice cultivars at plant densities ranging from 79 to 392 plants/m2 grown in competition with barnyardgrass. Representatives from each of the three classes of long-grain rice produced in the United States were selected. ‘Wells’ represented conventional, long-grain rice, ‘CL161’ represented semidwarf, imidazolinone-tolerant, long-grain rice, and ‘XL8’ represented hybrid, long-grain rice. Rice density and barnyardgrass control affected rice total aboveground biomass production, panicle weight, and harvest index. As rice density decreased or barnyardgrass control increased, total aboveground biomass production and harvest index increased. Rice density had no effect on panicle density or yield. Panicle density increased 14 panicles/m2 for every 10% increase in barnyardgrass control. Cultivar yields were affected similarly by barnyardgrass control, and increased 750 kg/ha for each 10% increase in barnyardgrass control. XL8 and Wells produced the highest average yields, with CL161 producing the lowest over the three-year experiment. XL8 yield components fluctuated more than CL161 or Wells over the range of rice densities and barnyardgrass control levels, indicating that XL8 is highly sensitive to intra- and interspecific competition at high plant populations.