The relative sensitivity of various crops and weeds to celery root residue incorporated into soil was determined in greenhouse experiments. A range of concentrations was used to determine the percentage of celery residue needed to cause a 50% reduction in plant growth (I50). The most sensitive weed was spiny amaranth and the least sensitive was common purslane. The most sensitive crop was radish and the least sensitive was celery. Selectivity was calculated as crop I50/weed I50 and varied from a maximum of 13 for celery and spiny amaranth to a low of 0.4 for radish and common purslane. Selective weed suppression might be obtained when celery residue is present.

The effect of sequential hexane, ethyl acetate, and aqueous methanol extracts of ‘Regal’ sweetpotato periderm on seed germination of sweetpotato, proso millet, and seven weed species was studied. The hexane extract, which contained the nonpolar components of the periderm tissue, was least inhibitory. It inhibited velvetleaf, proso millet, black nightshade, and redroot pigweed germination, and maximum inhibition was 56% for black nightshade at 200 mg of periderm extracted ml–1. The ethyl acetate fraction was inhibitory to proso millet, velvetleaf, black nightshade, goosegrass, tall morningglory, coffee senna, and redroot pigweed. The estimated I50 for ethyl acetate ranged from 17 mg periderm extracted ml–1 for black nightshade to 201 mg ml–1 for coffee senna. Sweetpotato, tall morningglory, and eclipta germination was not inhibited by this extract at the concentrations tested. The aqueous methanol extract was much more inhibitory than the hexane or ethyl acetate extracts, and there was considerable variation between species in response to this extract The I50 estimates for the aqueous methanol extract were 0.5, 0.6, 2.8, 4.4, 5.1, 9.6, 15.7, 21.0, and 25.8 mg ml–1 for velvetleaf, proso millet, black nightshade, goosegrass, sweetpotato, tall morningglory, eclipta, coffee senna, and pigweed, respectively.

Dinitramine (N4,N4-diethyl-α,α,α-trifluoro-3,5-dinitrotoluene-2,4-diamine) applied at 0.37 kg/ha controlled black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) better than did trifluralin (α,α,α-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-p-toluidine) at 0.56 kg/ha. Dinitramine applied at 0.37 kg/ha was equal to 0.56 kg/ha of trifluralin for control of green foxtail [Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.], yellow foxtail [Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.], and redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.). Dinitramine produced more root aberrations in sugarbeets (Beta vulgaris L. ‘Mono Hy D2′) than did trifluralin when sprayed on nonexposed or exposed hypotcotyledonary tissues of seedlings. When soil surrounded most of the hypocotyls at the time of application, 0.56 kg/ha of dinitramine affected 57 to 87% of the roots, whereas the same rate of trifluralin affected 1 to 8% of the roots. When the hypocotyls were exposed at the time of application, 100% of the roots were affected by dinitramine compared to 25% of all roots treated with trifluralin. Dinitramine applied at 0.37, 0.42, and 0.56 kg/ha lowered the quality and yield of sugarbeet roots, with the highest rate significantly reducing percentage purity, percentage sucrose, and recoverable sucrose. Trifluralin did not affect these parameters.

Under irrigated field conditions at Prosser, WA, Russian thistle [Salsola kali (L.) var. tenuifolia Tausch. ♯3 SASKR] began to emerge by mid-March each year and usually had completed its emergence by May 1. Common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L. ♯ CHEAL) was the next to appear, usually during the third or fourth week of March. Barnyardgrass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. ♯ ECHCG], redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L. ♯ AMARE), hairy nightshade (Solarium sarrachoides Sendt. ♯ SOLSA), black nightshade (5. nigrum L. ♯ SOLNI), eastern black nightshade (S. ptycanthum Dun.), and cutleaf nightshade (S. triflorum Nutt. ♯ SOLTR) generally began to emerge during the first 2 weeks of April and emergence generally peaked mid-April to mid-May. Russian thistle and cutleaf nightshade had the most restricted emergence patterns, whereas seedlings of common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, hairy nightshade, and black nightshade emerged each month from April through September. Shallow tillage at monthly intervals increased the overall emergence of common lambsquarters, redroot pigweed, black nightshade, and eastern black nightshade; decreased the emergence of barnyardgrass; and had no effect on the emergence of Russian thistle, cutleaf nightshade, or hairy nightshade.

In growth chamber studies, we measured the movement of cotyledons and leaves or leaflets in seedlings of nine weed species to determine: the magnitude of movement, whether movements followed a rhythmic pattern, and if rhythmic movements were endogenously controlled. Seedlings were always entrained under a 15-h light:9-h dark regime. Measurements were made at 3-h intervals for 3 to 4 days under four light regimes: alternating 15-h light:9-h dark; continuous light; one 15-h light:9-h dark span, followed by continuous light; and a 15-h light:9-h dark regime, in which the dark span was advanced 9 h (phase shift) when measurements were begun. No clearly defined pattern of leaf movement was found in wild mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.) L. C. Wheeler var. pinnatifida (Stokes) L. C. Wheeler]. Daily rhythmic leaf movements that did not appear to be endogenously controlled were found in redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) and black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.). Circadian rhythmic leaf movements that appeared to be under endogenous control were found in jimson-weed (Datura stramonium L.), common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.), common cocklebur (Xanthium pensylvanicum Wallr.), prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.), sicklepod (Cassia obtusifolia L.), and coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis L.).

Field studies were conducted in 1990 and 1991 at Davis and Five Points, CA to evaluate weed control with napropamide and hand-weeding and the effect on yield and profitability in transplanted bell pepper. Weed cover 8 wk after transplanting averaged less than 10% in plots hand-weeded biweekly for 6 wk after transplanting. Weed cover at harvest was less than 30% in plots hand-weeded at 8 wk after transplanting. Napropamide treatment reduced weed cover at 8 wk after transplanting an average of 34% compared to untreated plots, but differences declined to 14% at harvest. Time required to hand-weed plots was greater if the interval between weeding was 4 instead of 2 wk. The time needed to hand-weed plots was reduced from 38% to 71% by napropamide treatment. When weeds were excluded by hand-weeding for the entire season, bell pepper yielded 25 810 kg/ha and was 4% to 18% higher than other treatments. Net returns were greater for plots that were hand-weeded the entire season or when napropamide was combined with hand-weeding at 4 and 8 wk after transplanting, compared to other treatments.

In field studies, in 1993, 1994, and 1995, clomazone at 390 g ai/ha and rimsulfuron at 35 g ai/ha were evaluated preplant incorporated (PPI) and postemergence (POST), respectively, for weed control and crop response in transplanted ‘Keystone RG3’ bell pepper. Clomazone did not injure bell pepper. Common lambsquarters and jimsonweed control was 77 to 95% by clomazone treatments but was variable by rimsulfuron treatments at 41 to 93% common lambsquarters control and 42 to 68% jimsonweed control; common ragweed control by both herbicides was unacceptable. Injury by rimsulfuron to bell pepper in the field was 19 to 47% at 21 DAT. In the greenhouse, injury to Keystone RG3 and three additional bell pepper varieties, ‘Camelot,’ ‘Jupiter,’ and ‘Memphis’ was similar at 44 to 62% by rimsulfuron at 17 to 35 g/ha POST, and bell pepper had lower height and dry weight than untreated controls. In the greenhouse, jimsonweed control was below 49% and black nightshade control was below 23% by 17 to 35 g/ha rimsulfuron. In these studies, clomazone controlled common lambsquarters and jimsonweed without injury to bell pepper. The solanaceous weeds treated in this study were not well controlled by rimsulfuron, and bell pepper was not sufficiently tolerant to rimsulfuron to permit its use in this crop.

Winter sowing of lentil results in higher yields than a spring-sown crop. However, when lentil is winter-sown, the critical period of weed control is extended and might require sequential herbicide management strategies to obtain maximum yields. The efficacy of POST alone or soil applied followed by (fb) POST herbicides or hand weeding were evaluated in 2002 and 2003. Trifluralin (PPI) or pendimethalin (PRE) were applied at planting, and pyridate or oxyfluorfen were applied POST at the three- to four-leaf stage of lentil. The lowest level of weed biomass was recorded with all treatments, except pyridate alone in both years, pendimethalin PRE fb pyridate in 2002, and oxyfluorfen in 2003. Application of pyridate or oxyfluorfen POST alone resulted in lower yields. In 2002, trifluralin PPI or pendimethalin PRE fb one hand weeding or pendimethalin fb pyridate resulted in yields similar to the weed-free treatment. In 2003, yields were similar to the weed-free treatment, except pyridate or oxyfluorfen alone and trifluralin PPI fb oxyfluorfen. Weed species observed in the present study required sequential management to achieve both effective control and maximum lentil yield.