Herbicide resistance coupled with a dearth of selective herbicide options has increased the complexity of annual bluegrass control in hybrid bermudagrass putting greens. Cumyluron, endothall, and methiozolin are herbicides that control annual bluegrass by inhibiting novel sites of action compared with the herbicides currently used for turfgrass management in the United States. However, peer-reviewed literature contains no information on hybrid bermudagrass putting green tolerance to these herbicides. Sixteen field studies were established on eight golf greens in Midlothian, VA, in 2021 and 2022 to evaluate effects of cumyluron, endothall, methiozolin, pronamide, and trifloxysulfuron on bermudagrass spring transition. The 16 studies were split equally between initiation during full dormancy versus mid-spring transition. Methiozolin applied at 500 and 1,000 g ai ha−1 typically increased the heat units (growing degree days with a base temperature of 15 C) required for hybrid bermudagrass to visibly achieve 90% green coverage (T90) when applied to fully dormant hybrid bermudagrass. This delay in green coverage was more pronounced at sites where hybrid bermudagrass vigor was seemingly reduced via abiotic stressors. Endothall was generally more injurious than all other treatments when applied to hybrid bermudagrass during mid-transition. Endothall applied at 840 g ai ha−1 injured hybrid bermudagrass for 0 to 9 d over a threshold of 30% (DOT30), depending on location. In two site-years characterized by increased abiotic stress, methiozolin applied at 1,000 g ai ha−1 caused 44 DOT30. Cumyluron never injured hybrid bermudagrass by more than 30% or delayed T90 regardless of application timing. These results indicate that methiozolin should be applied only within labeled rates to actively growing hybrid bermudagrass putting greens, cumyluron can be safely applied at 6,450 g ai ha−1 to dormant or actively growing bermudagrass greens, and endothall applications should be limited to dormant bermudagrass greens unless transient phytotoxicity is acceptable.

Residual herbicides applied to summer cash crops have the potential to injure subsequent winter annual cover crops, yet little information is available to guide growers’ choices. Field studies were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in Blacksburg and Suffolk, Virginia, to determine carryover of 30 herbicides commonly used in corn, soybean, or cotton on wheat, barley, cereal rye, oats, annual ryegrass, forage radish, Austrian winter pea, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and rapeseed cover crops. Herbicides were applied to bare ground either 14 wk before cover crop planting for a PRE timing or 10 wk for a POST timing. Visible injury was recorded 3 and 6 wk after planting (WAP), and cover crop biomass was collected 6 WAP. There were no differences observed in cover crop biomass among herbicide treatments, despite visible injury that suggested some residual herbicides have the potential to effect cover crop establishment. Visible injury on grass cover crop species did not exceed 20% from any herbicide. Fomesafen resulted in the greatest injury recorded on forage radish, with greater than 50% injury in 1 site-year. Trifloxysulfuron and atrazine resulted in greater than 20% visible injury on forage radish. Trifloxysulfuron resulted in the greatest injury (30%) observed on crimson clover in 1 site-year. Prosulfuron and isoxaflutole significantly injured rapeseed (17% to 21%). Results indicate that commonly used residual herbicides applied in the previous cash crop growing season result in little injury on grass cover crop species, and only a few residual herbicides could potentially affect the establishment of a forage radish, crimson clover, or rapeseed cover crop.

Reductions in MSMA use for weed control in turfgrass systems may have led to increased common carpetgrass infestations. The objective of our research was to identify alternative POST herbicides for control of common carpetgrass using field and controlled-environment experiments. Field applications of MSMA (2.2 kg ai ha−1) and thiencarbazone + iodosulfuron + dicamba (TID) (0.171 kg ai ha−1) resulted in the greatest common carpetgrass control 8 wk after initial treatment (WAIT): 94% and 91%, respectively. Thiencarbazone + foramsulfuron + halosulfuron (TFH) (0.127 kg ai ha−1) applied in the field resulted in 77% control 8 WAIT, whereas all other treatments were ≤19% effective at 8 WAIT. All treatments resulted in greater common carpetgrass control when applied in the greenhouse. Applications of MSMA, TFH, and TID resulted in the highest common carpetgrass control in the greenhouse 8 WAIT: 94%, 94%, and 91%, respectively. Control with nicosulfuron (0.035 kg ai ha−1) and trifloxysulfuron (0.028 kg ai ha−1) (81% and 75%, respectively) was greater in the greenhouse than observed in the field 8 WAIT. Sequential applications of foramsulfuron (0.058 kg ai ha−1) resulted in only ≤11% common carpetgrass control 8 WAIT, regardless of application site. All herbicide treatments in the greenhouse resulted in reduced aboveground common carpetgrass biomass 8 WAIT compared to the nontreated control (12.9 g). Aboveground biomasses of common carpetgrass in response to MSMA, TID, TFH, nicosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron were 1.6 to 2.1 g, regardless of treatment. Reduced efficacy of foramsulfuron was reflected in greater biomass (4.7 g) in response to treatments. Thiencarbazone + iodosulfuron + dicamba may be an alternative to MSMA for common carpetgrass control; however, long-term assessment may be warranted to evaluate treatment effectiveness. Further investigation into application timing may be necessary to enhance the efficacy of TFH for the control of common carpetgrass.

Sugarcane growers in Florida have been reporting reduced control of fall panicum with asulam, the main herbicide used for POST grass control. Therefore, outside container experiments were conducted to determine the response of four fall panicum populations from Florida to asulam applied alone and to evaluate whether tank-mix combination with trifloxysulfuron enhances control. Asulam was applied at 230 to 7,400 g ai ha−1, corresponding to 1/16 to 2X the maximum labeled rate for a single application in sugarcane, with or without combination with trifloxysulfuron at 16 g ai ha−1. Three fall panicum populations were collected from fields in which reduced control had been reported, while one population was from a field not used for sugarcane production but adjacent to a sugarcane field. The potency of asulam based on ED50 values (the rate required to cause 50% dry weight reduction at 28 d after treatment) ranged from 2,249 to 5,412 g ha−1 for tolerant populations with reported reduced fall panicum control compared with 1,808 g ha−1 for the susceptible population from the field not used for sugarcane production, showing that the latter was most sensitive to asulam. Addition of trifloxysulfuron to asulam increased potency on fall panicum by 5- to 15-fold, indicating that the tank mix enhanced dry weight reduction for all populations. The probability of fall panicum survival (regrowth after aboveground biomass harvesting) at the labeled rate of asulam ranged from 2% to 47% compared with 0% to 6% when trifloxysulfuron was added to the tank mix. Our results show differential response of fall panicum populations in Florida to asulam, which can be overcome by tank mixing with trifloxysulfuron even for populations that are difficult to control in sugarcane, but no evolution of resistance to asulam.

Control of broadleaf weeds in caladium is difficult due in part to a lack of selective POST herbicides. Cultivation is not an option due to the dense canopy and potential for tuber injury. As a result, growers currently rely on preemergence (PRE) herbicide and hand-weeding. The objective of this research was to evaluate the control of four common broadleaf weeds of field grown caladium with POST applications of halosulfuron, thifensulfuron-methyl, and trifloxysulfuron, and determine the tolerance of caladium cultivars ‘Florida Fantasy’ and ‘Florida cardinal’ to POST applications of halosulfuron. At 4 weeks after treatment (WAT), thifensufluron-methyl at 28 g ai ha−1 and trifloxysulfuron at 84 g ai ha−1 provided approximately 90 and 70% common purslane control, respectively, while halosulfuron at 210 g ai ha−1 provided 55% suppression. Trifloxysulfuron controlled ≥90% spotted spurge at 42 g ha−1, whereas the highest rate of halosulfuron and thifensulfuron-methyl only achieved 60% suppression. In field experiments, the evaluated sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides were less efficacious on hairy indigo and sharppod morningglory as control never exceeded 65 and 50%, respectively. In greenhouse experiments, the evaluated halosulfuron rates ranging from 26 to 420 g ha−1 did not significantly reduce caladium tuber weight from the nontreated control. Averaged over halosulfuron rates, ‘Florida Fantasy’ damage was 5 and 6% at 2 and 4 WAT, respectively, while ‘Florida Cardinal’ damage was 11%. We conclude that none of the herbicide treatments effectively controlled all species evaluated. Sequential treatments, higher rates, or tank-mixtures may be necessary to adequately control these species. We also conclude that caladium cultivars ‘Florida Fantasy’ and ‘Florida Cardinal’ have acceptable tolerance to POST applications of halosulfuron. Further research is needed to evaluate caladium tolerance to other SU herbicides.

Tropical signalgrass (TSG) is one of the most problematic weeds found on golf courses, sports fields, and sod farms in south Florida. The recent ban of monosodium methane-arsonate (MSMA), an organic arsenical herbicide, from urban areas in Florida has left turfgrass managers searching for effective management options. In an effort to avoid relying solely on POST chemical control, this research examined the effect of combining a cultural practice, verticutting, along with PRE and POST herbicides as an integrated weed management approach to controlling TSG in hybrid bermudagrass. Field experiments were conducted at multiple locations over 2 yr in south Florida to: (1) determine whether verticutting before herbicide applications increases TSG control and (2) identify herbicide programs that effectively control TSG. No interactions between verticutting and herbicide programs were detected, but verticutting consistently provided a slight reduction (8% averaged across herbicide treatments) in TSG cover. Treatments containing a PRE herbicide resulted in a significant reduction (20% to 50%) in TSG cover at 52 wk after initial treatment (WAIT), while some POST herbicide treatments reduced TSG cover to <20% at 52 WAIT. A study was conducted to determine which POST herbicide combinations were most efficacious in controlling TSG. Amicarbazone alone provided ≤35% TSG control at 8 and 12 WAIT, but synergistic responses were observed between amicarbazone and mesotrione, trifloxysulfuron, and thiencarbazone+foramsulfuron+halosulfuron. Two- and three-way combinations of amicarbazone with these POST herbicides resulted in >80% TSG control at 4, 8, and 12 WAIT, with some reaching 100% TSG control at 4 WAIT. Based on these data, verticutting may provide limited complementary control, but certain combinations of POST herbicides exhibited excellent (>95%) TSG control.

Purple nutsedge is difficult to control in vegetable plasticulture due to its ability to penetrate the plastic mulch. Experiments were conducted in Spring 2011 and 2012 at the Plant Science Research and Education Center in Citra, Florida, and in Spring and Fall 2013 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, Florida. The objective was to determine tomato (cv. Amelia, Charger, and Florida 47) tolerance and purple nutsedge response to herbicides and herbicide tank-mixes applied POST-directed to base of tomato. Chlorimuron-ethyl, flazasulfuron, fomesafen, halosulfuron, imazosulfuron, rimsulfuron, nicosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron applied POST-directed to the base of the crop did not cause crop damage. Halosulfuron or tank-mixes that contained halosulfuron tended to provide the greatest nutsedge suppression in all experiments. Halosulfuron or nicosulfuron+rimsulfuron applications when tomato (cv. Charger) were flowering reduced marketable yields by 22-28% compared to the nontreated control. No yield reductions occurred with Florida 47 or Amelia cultivars. Flazasulfuron provided similar purple nutsedge suppression to halosulfuron and did not damage tomato. Tank-mixes that contained halosulfuron tended not to provide any added benefit over halosulfuron alone. This research identified herbicides that are safe for use as a POST-directed application in tomato. Additional research is needed to evaluate efficacy of these herbicides on broadleaf weeds.

The widespread occurrence of Palmer amaranth resistant to acetolactate synthase inhibitors and/or glyphosate led to the increased use of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO)-inhibiting herbicides. This research aimed to: (1) evaluate the efficacy of foliar-applied fomesafen to Palmer amaranth, (2) evaluate cross-resistance to foliar PPO inhibitors and efficacy of foliar herbicides with different mechanisms of action, (3) survey the occurrence of the PPO Gly-210 deletion mutation among PPO inhibitor–resistant Palmer amaranth, (4) identify other PPO target-site mutations in resistant individuals, and (5) determine the resistance level in resistant accessions with or without the PPO Gly-210 deletion. Seedlings were sprayed with fomesafen (263 gaiha−1), dicamba (280 gaiha−1), glyphosate (870 gaiha−1), glufosinate (549 g ai ha−1), and trifloxysulfuron (7.84 gaiha−1). Selected fomesafen-resistant accessions were sprayed with other foliar-applied PPO herbicides. Mortality and injury were evaluated 21 d after treatment (DAT). The PPX2L gene of resistant and susceptible plants from a selected accession was sequenced. The majority (70%) of samples from putative PPO-resistant populations in 2015 were confirmed resistant to foliar-applied fomesafen. The efficacy of other foliar PPO herbicides on fomesafen-resistant accessions was saflufenacil>acifluorfen=flumioxazin>carfentrazone=lactofen>pyraflufen-ethyl>fomesafen>fluthiacet-methyl. With small seedlings, cross-resistance occurred with all foliar-applied PPO herbicides except saflufenacil (i.e., 25% with acifluorfen, 42% with flumioxazin). Thirty-two percent of PPO-resistant accessions were multiple resistant to glyphosate and trifloxysulfuron. Resistance to PPO herbicides in Palmer amaranth occurred in at least 13 counties in Arkansas. Of 316 fomesafen survivors tested, 55% carried the PPO Gly-210 deletion reported previously in common waterhemp. The PPO gene (PPX2L) in one accession (15CRI-B), which did not encode the Gly-210 deletion, encoded an Arg-128-Gly substitution. The 50% growth reduction values for fomesafen in accessions with Gly-210 deletion were 8- to 15-fold higher than that of a susceptible population, and 3- to 10-fold higher in accessions without the Gly-210 deletion.

Turfgrass managers currently have few readily available means of evaluating herbicide resistance in annual bluegrass during the growing season. Research was conducted to determine if agar-based diagnostic tests developed for agronomic weeds could be used to reliably confirm herbicide resistance in annual bluegrass harvested from golf course turf. Annual bluegrass phenotypes with target-site resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS; R3, R7), enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS; R5), and photosystem II (PSII; R3, R4) inhibiting herbicides were included in experiments along with an herbicidal susceptible phenotype (S). Single tiller plants were washed free of soil and transplanted into autoclavable polycarbonate plant culture boxes filled with plant tissue culture agar amended with a murashigee-skoog medium and trifloxysulfuron (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100, or 150 μM), glyphosate (0, 6, 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μM), or simazine (0, 6, 12, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 μM). Mortality in agar was assessed 7 to 10 days after treatment (depending on herbicide) and compared to responses observed after treating individual plants of each phenotype with trifloxysulfuron (28 g ai ha-1), glyphosate (1120 g ae ha-1), or simazine (1120 g ai ha-1) in an enclosed spray chamber. Fisher’s exact test (α = 0.05) determined that mortality in agar with 12.5 μM trifloxysulfuron and 100 μM glyphosate was not significantly different than treating whole plants via traditional spray application. Mortality with all concentrations of simazine in agar was significantly different than that observed after treating resistant and susceptible phenotypes via traditional spray application. Our findings indicate that an agar-based diagnostic assay can be used to detect annual bluegrass resistance to ALS- or EPSPS-inhibiting herbicides in less than 10 days; however, additional research is needed to refine this assay for use with PSII-inhibiting herbicides.

Poor annual bluegrass control was reported in golf course roughs following treatment with prodiamine (1120 gaiha−1) and glyphosate (840 gaeha−1) during hybrid bermudagrass dormancy. Research was conducted to determine if this annual bluegrass phenotype was resistant to both prodiamine and glyphosate and to determine the efficacy of herbicide mixtures for controlling this phenotype in the field. In PRE or POST dose-response experiments, 9 to 31 times more prodiamine or glyphosate was needed to control (or reduce dry biomass of) this resistant phenotype by 50% compared to an herbicide-susceptible phenotype. Moreover, glyphosate-susceptible plants accumulated 50% more shikimic acid (898 mgkg−1) 6 d after treatment than those resistant to glyphosate (394 mgkg−1). October (fall) applications of herbicide mixtures containing trifloxysulfuron, simazine, S-metolachlor, or mesotrione controlled this resistant annual bluegrass phenotype 84 to 98% in April (spring), with no differences detected among treatments. Our findings document the second instance of annual bluegrass evolving multiple resistance in a managed turfgrass system. However, several herbicide mixtures can be used to effectively manage this resistant phenotype.

Sulfonylurea herbicides used in turfgrass—including chlorsulfuron, flazasulfuron, foramsulfuron, halosulfuron, metsulfuron, rimsulfuron, sulfometuron, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron—are all weak acids, with disassociation constants ranging from 3.3 to 5.2. Sulfonylureas are used at low rates ranging from 4 to 280 g ha−1. Although these use rates put their soil concentration in parts per billion, they still have residual activity with variable persistence. They have limited susceptibility to soil leaching with weak adsorption to soil clay minerals. Sulfonylurea herbicides used in turfgrass have variable soil organic matter adsorption, which is soil dependent. The persistence and activity of these sulfonylureas are affected by soil pH. At soil pH of 7.0 and greater, some of these sulfonylurea herbicides tend to persist for longer periods with half-lives extending into years rather than days. In normal use patterns with soil pH of 7.0 and less, dissipation occurs via chemical hydrolysis and microbial degradation with half-lives ranging from days to months. Overall, sulfonylurea herbicide adsorption is negatively correlated to increasing pH (increased persistence) and positively correlated to increased organic matter (decreased activity).

Acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors are widely used for POST control of sedges in turfgrass. A suspected resistant (R) biotype of annual sedge was collected from a bermudagrass turf in Georgia with a history of exclusive use of halosulfuron. Research was conducted to evaluate the resistance level of this biotype to halosulfuron, efficacy of ALS-inhibiting herbicides and other mechanisms of action for control, and the molecular and physiological basis for resistance. In greenhouse experiments, the halosulfuron rate required to reduce shoot biomass 50% in comparison with the nontreated at 8 wk after treatment (WAT) were 8 and > 1,120 g ai ha−1 for the S (susceptible) and R biotypes, respectively. Imazapic, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron reduced biomass of the S biotype greater than 60% at 8 WAT, but biomass was reduced less than 20% for the R biotype. Glufosinate, glyphosate, MSMA, and sulfentrazone reduced shoot biomass of the R biotype by 93, 86, 97, and 45%, respectively. In laboratory experiments, the halosulfuron concentration required to inhibit ALS activity by 50% in excised leaf tissues was 5.8 and > 1,000 μM for the S and R biotypes, respectively. Gene sequencing of the R biotype revealed a Pro-197-Ser substitution that confers resistance to ALS inhibitors. This is the first report of ALS-inhibitor resistance in annual sedge and herbicide resistance in a sedge species from a turfgrass system.

Field studies were conducted in five states at six locations from 2002 through 2003 to evaluate weed control and cotton response to early POST (EPOST), POST/POST-directed spray (PDS), and late POST-directed (LAYBY) systems using glyphosate-trimethylsulfonium salt (TM), s-metolachlor, trifloxysulfuron, prometryn, and MSMA. Early POST applications were made from mid May through mid June; POST/PDS applications were made from early June through mid July; and LAYBY applications were made from early July through mid August. Early season cotton injury and discoloration was minimal (< 1%) with all treatments; mid- and late-season injury was minimal (< 2%) except for trifloxysulfuron POST (11 and 9%, respectively). Annual grasses evaluated included barnyardgrass, broadleaf signalgrass, goosegrass, and large crabgrass. Broadleaf weeds evaluated included entireleaf morningglory, pitted morningglory, sicklepod, and smooth pigweed. For the EPOST, POST/PDS, and LAYBY applications, weeds were at cotyledon to 10 leaf, 1 to 25 leaf, and 2 to 25 leaf stage, respectively. Annual broadleaf and grass control was increased with the addition of s-metolachlor to glyphosate-TM EPOST systems (85 to 98% control) compared with glyphosate-TM EPOST alone (65 to 91% control), except for sicklepod control where equivalent control was observed. Annual grass control was greater with glyphosate-TM plus trifloxysulfuron PDS than with trifloxysulfuron POST or PDS, or trifloxysulfuron plus MSMA PDS (90 to 94% vs. 75 to 83% control). With few exceptions, broadleaf weed control was equivalent for trifloxysulfuron applied POST alone or PDS alone or in combination with glyphosate-TM PDS or MSMA PDS herbicide treatments (81 to 99% control). The addition of a LAYBY herbicide treatment increased broadleaf weed control by 11 to 36 percentage points compared with systems without a LAYBY. Cotton lint yield increased 420 kg/ha with the addition of s-metolachlor to glyphosate-TM EPOST treatments compared with systems without s-metolachlor EPOST. Cotton lint yield was increased 330 to 910 kg/ha with the addition of a POST herbicide treatment compared with systems without a POST/PDS treatment. The addition of a LAYBY herbicide treatment increased cotton lint yield by 440 kg/ha compared with systems without a LAYBY.

Research was conducted to evaluate absorption, translocation, and metabolism of foliar-applied trifloxysulfuron in flue-cured tobacco. The majority of 14C-trifloxysulfuron was absorbed by 4 h, with an accumulation in the plant of 43% of the radioactivity after 72 h. Translocation of radioactivity did not significantly differ between harvest timings of 4 to 72 h after treatment. Not more than 4% of applied 14C-trifloxysulfuron moved out of the treated leaves of tobacco, whereas less than 1.9% accumulated in any one part. Tobacco metabolized 14C-trifloxysulfuron rapidly, with 60.9% of the absorbed herbicide remaining in the parent herbicide form 4 h after treatment, whereas only 12.1% remained after 72 h. These data suggest that limited absorption and translocation, as well as rapid metabolism, are the basis for tobacco tolerance to foliar-applied trifloxysulfuron and illustrate the potential safe and effective use of trifloxysulfuron in tobacco for POST weed control.

Field studies were conducted in 2000 and 2001 at Rohwer, AR. Trifloxysulfuron (5.3 and 8 g ai/ha) and pyrithiobac (70 g ai/ha) were applied preemergence (PRE) and postemergence (POST) broadcast at the two- to three-leaf (EP) and three- to four-leaf (MP) cotton growth stages. Both materials were also applied POST in combination with glyphosate at 560 g ae/ha or bromoxynil at 560 g ai/ha at both growth stages. Trifloxysulfuron applied EP or MP at 8 g/ha provided greater control of sicklepod and pitted morningglory 28 d after application (DAA) than trifloxysulfuron at 5.3 g/ha or pyrithiobac at 70 g/ha; however, control of prickly sida was greater with pyrithiobac than with trifloxysulfuron at either rate. Glyphosate alone controlled sicklepod, prickly sida, and pitted morningglory greater than 80%. The addition of trifloxysulfuron at 8 g/ha and pyrithiobac at 70 g/ ha increased control of all species over glyphosate alone 28 DAA. Bromoxynil at 560 g/ha controlled pitted morningglory and hemp sesbania at all application timings; however, sicklepod and Palmer amaranth control was less than 50% with bromoxynil applied alone. When bromoxynil was applied in combination with trifloxysulfuron at either rate, control of sicklepod and Palmer amaranth increased to 80% or greater at all application timings. Trifloxysulfuron has the potential to complement both the glyphosate-resistant and bromoxynil-resistant weed control programs by providing control of less susceptible weeds and by providing residual control to both programs.

Field studies were conducted in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate fall applications of herbicides to control glyphosate-resistant (GR) horseweed before planting cotton. Fall treatments were compared with spring treatments for control of GR horseweed and effect on seed cotton yield. Fall and spring treatments with and without residual herbicides were also compared. No differences were observed for control of GR horseweed or seed cotton yield between fall and spring application timings. However, a difference was observed between fall applications with and without a residual herbicide. Fall applications that contained residual herbicides provided 86% control of GR horseweed and yielded 2,360 kg/ha of seed cotton. Fall applications that did not contain a residual herbicide only provided 70% control of GR horseweed and yielded 2,010 kg/ha of seed cotton. No benefit was observed from spring applications that contained a residual herbicide. This research indicates that glyphosate-resistant horseweed can be controlled with fall- or spring-applied burndown herbicides, and fall applications should include a residual herbicide for best results.

Acetolactate synthase–- (ALS-) inhibiting herbicides are frequently used to control annual bluegrass in managed turfgrass systems. Recently, the number of annual bluegrass populations resistant to these herbicides has increased on golf courses. Previous research involving annual bluegrass resistance to ALS inhibitors has included elucidating the mechanism of resistance and in vivo response of ALS to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. The purpose of this research was to generate baseline information on enzymatic parameters of resistant (R) and susceptible (S) annual bluegrass biotypes and further distinguish these biotypes by comparing vegetative growth and reproductive characteristics. The R biotype contained a mutation in the ALS gene resulting in a Trp574 to Leu amino acid substitution. Compared to the S biotype, the R biotype exhibited a 27- and 10-fold resistance to trifloxysulfuron at the whole-plant level and under in vitro conditions, respectively. No significant differences were observed in substrate concentration at one-half maximum rate of enzyme activity (pyruvate) or extractable ALS activity between biotypes, but the maximum rate of enzyme activity was higher for the R biotype. The feedback inhibition of ALS activity by the branched-chain amino acids was higher for the R biotype than the S biotype, with leucine, valine, and isoleucine inhibiting ALS activity 20, 6, and 4% more in the R biotype, respectively. The R biotype produced more inflorescences and seeds per plant in comparison with the S biotype, but relative growth rates between biotypes were similar at all harvest intervals. Our research provides baseline information regarding ALS enzyme response, vegetative growth, and reproductive characteristics of annual bluegrass biotypes resistant and susceptible to ALS-inhibiting herbicides.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of selective herbicide placement on sedge shoot number, shoot weight, and root weight. Sulfentrazone, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron were applied to soil only, foliage only, or soil plus foliage. Sulfentrazone provided greater yellow nutsedge and false green kyllinga growth reduction compared to purple nutsedge. Sulfosulfuron provided greater purple nutsedge and false green kyllinga growth reduction compared to yellow nutsedge; these species responded similarly to trifloxysulfuron. Soil and soil plus foliar applications provided the highest level of growth suppression, indicating herbicide–soil contact is required for optimum sedge control with these three herbicides. Future research should evaluate techniques that optimize herbicide–soil contact to improve herbicide efficacy.

Methyl bromide (MeBr), a widely used soil fumigant in tomato production, has been banned for ordinary agricultural uses. In the absence of MeBr, a viable alternative is imperative for weed control and prevention of economic loss in tomato production. A field study was conducted in the summers of 2010 and 2011 at Fayetteville, AR, to compare the efficacy and economics of herbicide programs consisting of pre-transplant followed by (fb) post-transplant herbicides in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) mulched tomato. Pre-transplant imazosulfuron at 0.112, 0.224, and 0.336 kg ai ha−1 and S-metolachlor at 1.6 kg ai ha−1 were fb a post-transplant mixture of trifloxysulfuron plus halosulfuron at 0.008 and 0.027 kg ai ha−1 at 4 wk after transplant (WATP). The standard MeBr treatment (2:1 mixture of MeBr plus chloropicrin at 390 kg ai ha−1), weed-free (hand weeding) control, and nontreated weedy check were used for comparison. Pre-transplant S-metolachlor fb post-transplant herbicides controlled Palmer amaranth ≥ 89%, large crabgrass ≥ 88%, and yellow nutsedge ≥ 90%, which was comparable to the control with MeBr. Tomato recovered the injury (≤ 19% at 6 WATP) from post-transplant herbicides in the later weeks. S-metolachlor–containing herbicide programs yielded marketable tomato fruit comparable to the yield with MeBr. Economic evaluation of the herbicide programs demonstrated a net return of $3,758.50 ha−1 from the S-metolachlor–containing herbicide program in LDPE-mulched tomato. Likewise, this herbicide program showed minimum loss of ≤ $671.61 ha−1 in net return relative to MeBr. In conclusion, a herbicide program consisting of pre-transplant S-metolachlor fb post-transplant trifloxysulfuron plus halosulfuron is a viable alternative to MeBr for weed control and marketable yield in LDPE-mulched tomato production.

Experiments were conducted during 2007 and 2008 to evaluate various herbicide treatment regimes for POST purple nutsedge and false-green kyllinga control. Evaluated herbicides included halosulfuron, sulfentrazone, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron. Evaluated treatments did not cause objectionable bermudagrass injury at any time. Results were variable across years, likely due to reduced rainfall in 2007 causing reduced purple nutsedge and false-green kyllinga growth. In 2007, averaged across herbicide rate and number of applications, sulfosulfuron provided greater purple nutsedge control than trifloxysulfuron. Sulfosulfuron and trifloxysulfuron provided similar levels of control in 2008, although both were less effective than in 2007. In 2007, sulfosulfuron and trifloxysulfuron provided excellent (> 90%) false-green kyllinga control, and trifloxysulfuron provided greater control (80%) compared to sulfosulfuron (61%) in 2008. Sulfentrazone provided < 30 and 60% purple nutsedge and false-green kyllinga control, respectively. A sequential application applied 6 wk after initial treatment provided the highest level of purple nutsedge and false-green kyllinga control with evaluated herbicides. Tank-mix partners to enhance purple nutsedge control with sulfentrazone provided inconsistent results. Sulfosulfuron and trifloxysulfuron offer acceptable POST perennial sedge control in tolerant warm-season turfgrasses.