Nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron are two selective postemergence sulfonylurea herbicides commercialized, respectively, in Europe and USA for weed control in maize. They are under development in Canada as a 1:1 premix (DPX-79406). The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of these herbicides and their interactions on acetolactate synthase (ALS) activity of selected annual weed species. Each nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron treatment used over a concentration range of 0.01 to 10 μM produced a distinct pattern of ALS inhibition for common ragweed, proso millet, redroot pigweed, smooth crabgrass, and wild oats. Based on ALS specific activity, I50 values for each herbicide differed slightly among the five weed species. However, rimsulfuron was much more inhibitory to ALS than was nicosulfuron. Common ragweed ALS activity increased linearly from 30 to 120 min, even in the continual presence of both herbicides in the assay buffer. This suggests the reversibility of their interaction with ALS. Delaying nicosulfuron (1 μM) or rimsulfuron (0.1 μM) additions to the assay buffer, after initiating the reaction with the enzyme, resulted in a quadratic increase of common ragweed ALS activity. In the continual presence of 0.1 μM of rimsulfuron, addition of 0.1 or 1 μM nicosulfuron did not affect ALS activity any further. However, in the continual presence of 0.1 μM of nicosulfuron, delaying rimsulfuron addition caused an increase in ALS activity. This increase was lower in the presence of 1 μM of nicosulfuron. Inhibition of common ragweed ALS by nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron was not independent of each other, suggesting some competition between the two herbicides for a common binding site on ALS.

Economic decision rules for postemergence herbicide control of barnyardgrass in corn were developed. Damage and control functions that formed the basis of an economic model were estimated. Barnyardgrass density and time of emergence relative to the crop were fundamental to calculate the damage function. The control function described barnyardgrass dry weight response to variable doses of two herbicides. Both the biologist's and economist's weed control decision rules, derived from the economic model, were influenced by time of weed emergence relative to the crop, corn yield, and price. Inclusion of time of weed emergence relative to the crop improved our interpretative ability of derived decision rules. The biologist's threshold weed density was more sensitive to changes in parameter values than the economist's optimal herbicide dose strategy. Herbicide use with recommended label dose was greater than either the economically optimal or the biologically effective doses. Use of the biologically effective dose for postemergence weed control decisions was cost efficient and could be of practical significance to corn growers.

Field research was conducted to determine the effectiveness of DPX-79406 (a 1:1 mixture of nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron) for green foxtail control in field corn. Green foxtail control was similar when DPX-79406 was applied postemergence compared to preplant incorporated EPTC/dichlormid or metolachlor. DPX-79406 gave similar green foxtail control to that of cyanazine and better control than inter-row cultivation following soil-applied herbicides. Green foxtail control was greatest when DPX-79406 was applied at the one- to two-tiller stage compared to the one- to two-leaf stage, suggesting that green foxtail is more susceptible to DPX-79406 at later growth stages. DPX-79406 injured ‘Pioneer 3995’ corn in all trials but injured ‘Pride K020’ corn in only one treatment. DPX-79406 between 15 and 25 g ai/ha gave 85% control of green foxtail with minimal corn injury. Adjuvants tended to increase both corn injury and green foxtail control with Scoil and Merge increasing DPX-79406 activity the most. DPX-79406 provides an effective postemergence alternative for green foxtail control in field corn, for either preplant incorporated herbicides or postemergence cyanazine.

Seven annual weed species were treated under greenhouse conditions with six rates of either nicosulfuron, rimsulfuron, or a 1:1 mixture (DPX-79406). Herbicide rates in g ai/ha producing 90% dry biomass reduction (GR90) were calculated for each weed species. Accordingly, weeds were classified as very susceptible when GR90 ≤ 9, susceptible when 9 < GR90 ≤ 18, moderately susceptible when 18 < GR90 ≤ 27, and tolerant when, GR90 > 27. Giant and green foxtails were very susceptible to the three herbicides. Proso millet was very susceptible to rimsulfuron and DPX-79406, and susceptible to nicosulfuron. Wild oat was susceptible to nicosulfuron and DPX-79406, and moderately susceptible to rimsulfuron. Redroot pigweed was very susceptible to nicosulfuron; whereas, it was susceptible to rimsulfuron and DPX-79406. Common ragweed and smooth crabgrass were tolerant to the three herbicides. In a second experiment, we used regression estimate analysis with an additive reference model to evaluate nicosulfuron and rimsulfuron interaction on corn, soybean, common ragweed, and smooth crabgrass. We found these herbicides synergistic on smooth crabgrass, antagonistic on soybean, less than additive on common ragweed, and additive on corn.