Herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth has become the most economically detrimental weed of cotton in the southeast United States. With the continual marginalization of potential herbicide tools, research has expanded to include alternative means of affecting future Palmer amaranth populations by altering safe sites and reducing inputs to the seedbank population. The influence of delayed Palmer amaranth establishment on seed production potential has not been investigated in the southeast United States. Studies were conducted to evaluate the influence of time of Palmer amaranth establishment on morphology, growth, and seed production. The experiment was a factorial, with five levels of Palmer amaranth transplanting (0 to 12 wk after cotton planting) and two levels of crop type (cotton and noncrop). In the absence of crop competition, the first cohort of Palmer amaranth produced 446,000 seeds per plant. This potential seed production was reduced 50% when Palmer amaranth plants were established nearly 6 wk later. In contrast, the first Palmer amaranth cohort growing in competition with cotton produced 312,000 seeds, 30% less than was produced in the absence of competition. Interference from cotton shifted time to 50% seed production to nearly 4 wk earlier in the growing season, relative to plants without crop competition. Delayed establishment of Palmer amaranth simulates premature loss of herbicide efficacy and alters the competitive balance between cotton and Palmer amaranth. Although the planting time that resulted in 50% reduction in Palmer amaranth plant height at the end of the season was not affected by the presence of cotton, 50% reduction in plant width and biomass occurred within the first 3.8 wk of the growing season when growing with cotton, more than 4 wk earlier than Palmer amaranth growing without a crop. This suggests that early season weed control programs will have a large effect on Palmer amaranth potential growth and seed production, as well as crop yield. To implement soil seedbank reduction strategies effectively, information on mechanisms that regulate Palmer amaranth persistence in the soil seedbank is needed.

Glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth escaping residual herbicides is difficult to manage in cotton because of its rapid growth and a limited number of effective herbicide options to control emerged plants. An experiment was conducted at two dryland and two irrigated sites in Georgia during 2011 and 2012 to determine if cotton resistant to glyphosate, 2,4-D, and glufosinate could be used to salvage a crop infested with large Palmer amaranth. Three POST herbicide systems, including sequential applications of 2,4-D, sequential applications of 2,4-D plus glufosinate, or 2,4-D followed by (fb) glufosinate, were applied with intervals of 5, 10, or 15 d between POST applications. All three systems were followed by diuron plus MSMA directed at layby. At the dryland sites with high temperatures and drought conditions, no program provided greater than 90% control. However, the 2,4-D plus glufosinate system was at least twice as effective in controlling 20-cm-tall Palmer amaranth and produced at least three times more cotton than the other two systems, when pooled over POST application intervals. Intervals of 10 or 15 d between POST applications were 23 to 27% more effective than a 5-d interval in controlling Palmer amaranth when pooled over POST herbicide systems; yields were nearly twice as much with the 10-d interval compared to 5 d. At the irrigated site, overall weed control was greater with less treatment differences noted. Palmer amaranth that was 20 cm tall at application was controlled 98 to 99%, 92 to 93%, and 81 to 94% by glufosinate plus 2,4-D, 2,4-D fb glufosinate, and 2,4-D fb 2,4-D systems at harvest, respectively. Intervals between POST applications only influenced control by the POST 2,4-D system, and the 10-d interval was more effective than the 5-d interval. Carpetweed, Florida beggarweed, and smallflower morningglory were controlled 99% at harvest by all systems; however, it was noted that control of carpetweed and Florida beggarweed prior to layby was less effective with 2,4-D than systems including glufosinate. In the event of an at-plant residual herbicide failure in fields infested with glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth, our research demonstrates that glufosinate plus 2,4-D sequentially applied 10 to 15 d apart followed by a timely layby application controlled the target weeds in cotton with resistance to 2,4-D, glyphosate, and glufosinate.

Cover crops are becoming increasingly common in cotton as a result of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth; hence, a field experiment was conducted in 2009 and 2010 in Marianna, AR, with a rye cover crop used to determine its effects on the critical period for weed control in cotton. Throughout most of the growing season, weed biomass in the presence of a rye cover crop was lesser than that in the absence of a rye cover crop. In 2009, in weeks 2 through 7 after planting, weed biomass was reduced at least twofold in the presence of a rye cover compared with the absence of rye. In 2009, in both presence and absence of a rye cover crop, weed removal needed to begin before weed biomass was 150 g m−2, or approximately 4 wk after planting, to prevent yield loss > 5%. Weed density was less in 2010 than in 2009, so weed removal was not required until 7 wk after planting, at which point weed biomass values were 175 and 385 g m−2 in the presence and absence of a cover crop, respectively.

Transgenic, herbicide-resistant cultivars and equipment to spindle-pick 38-cm rows has renewed interest in narrow-row cotton production. Field experiments were conducted at four locations in North Carolina during 2004 and 2005 to evaluate weed management systems in glufosinate-resistant cotton planted in 38- and 97-cm rows. Weeds included broadleaf signalgrass, goosegrass, fall panicum, large crabgrass, Palmer amaranth, smooth pigweed, pitted morningglory, and tall morningglory. Greater than 90% control of annual grasses and Amaranthus spp. in 2004 and Ipomoea spp. in both years was obtained in narrow-row cotton with glufosinate applied early POST (EPOST) and mid-POST (MPOST) to two- and six-leaf cotton, respectively. With good early-season control by glufosinate and rapid canopy closure, there was little benefit from pendimethalin, fluometuron, or pyrithiobac applied PRE, S-metolachlor or pyrithiobac mixed with glufosinate applied MPOST, or trifloxysulfuron applied late POST (LPOST) to 11-leaf cotton in 2004. In 2005, with larger weeds at initial application, glufosinate EPOST and MPOST did not adequately control annual grasses and Amaranthus spp. Pendimethalin PRE increased control to greater than 90% and increased yields 59 to 75%. Pendimethalin PRE followed by S-metolachlor or pyrithiobac mixed with glufosinate at MPOST was no more effective than pendimethalin alone. Without PRE herbicides, trifloxysulfuron applied LPOST increased Amaranthus but not annual grass control. Cotton row spacing had no effect on cotton yield and little effect on weed control.

An experiment was conducted in controlled environments to evaluate the effects of relative humidity (RH) and soil moisture (SM) on fluroxypyr efficacy on kochia and Palmer amaranth. Plants were grown in growth chambers with constant RH of 35 or 90 ± 5% and 28/23 C day/night temperature. Within each growth chamber, plants were grown in SM regimes of either −20 or −40 kPa. When plants were 8 to 10 cm tall, fluroxypyr was applied at 26, 52, 78, or 104 g ae ha−1; a nontreated control was included. At 21 days after treatment, control of both species increased with increasing fluroxypyr rate. Kochia control was not affected by RH, but control was greater when plants were grown in moist soil (−20 kPa) than in dry soil (−40 kPa). Conversely, Palmer amaranth control was greater when plants were grown at 90% RH than at 35% RH, but control did not differ between moist and dry soils. This study showed that the influence of environmental factors on fluroxypyr efficacy on kochia and Palmer amaranth is species dependent.

Field experiments were conducted in Macon County, Georgia, during 2010 and 2011 to determine the impact of new herbicide-resistant cotton and respective herbicide systems on the control of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth. Sequential POST applications of 2,4-D or glufosinate followed by diuron plus MSMA directed at layby (late POST-directed) controlled Palmer amaranth 62 to 79% and 46 to 49% at harvest when the initial application was made to 8- or 18–cm-tall Palmer amaranth, in separate trials, respectively. Mixtures of glufosinate plus 2,4-D applied sequentially followed by the layby controlled Palmer amaranth 95 to 97% regardless of Palmer amaranth height. Mixing glyphosate with 2,4-D improved control beyond that observed with 2,4-D alone, but control was still only 79 to 86% at harvest depending on 2,4-D rate. Sequential applications of glyphosate plus 2,4-D controlled Palmer amaranth 95 to 96% following the use of either pendimethalin or fomesafen. Seed cotton yield was at least 30% higher with 2,4-D plus glufosinate systems compared to systems with either herbicide alone. The addition of pendimethalin and/or fomesafen PRE did not improve Palmer amaranth control or yields when glufosinate plus 2,4-D were applied sequentially followed by the layby. The addition of these residual herbicides improved at harvest control (87 to 96%) when followed by sequential applications of 2,4-D or 2,4-D plus glyphosate; yields from these systems were similar to those with glufosinate plus 2,4-D. Comparison of 2,4-D and 2,4-DB treatments confirmed that 2,4-D is a more effective option for the control of Palmer amaranth. Results from these experiments suggest cotton with resistance to glufosinate, glyphosate, and 2,4-D will improve Palmer amaranth management. At-plant residual herbicides should be recommended for consistent performance of all 2,4-D systems across environments, although cotton with resistance to glyphosate, glufosinate, and 2,4-D will allow greater flexibility in selecting PRE herbicide(s), which should reduce input costs, carryover concerns, and crop injury when compared to current systems.