Predicting in-season crop yield is a unique tool for drawing important crop management decisions for precision farming. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in northwestern India under different agro-climatic zones to predict and validate spring maize yield using various in-season spectral indices. The spectral properties measured with leaf color chart (LCC), chlorophyll meter (SPAD meter), and GreenSeeker optical sensor were used to predict grain yield. A power function based on the Normalized Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) measured with GreenSeeker optical sensor at V9 growth stage (9th leaf with fully exposed collar) presented higher values of coefficient of determination and explained 61% of the variability in spring maize grain yield, whereas NDVI measured at early and late growth stages were not reliable for the purpose. The spectral properties recorded with the SPAD meter and LCC rendered better grain yield estimates at VT growth stage (tasseling) and were respectively able to explain 75 and 76% variability in grain yield. The developed models were validated on an independent data set from another field experiment on spring maize. The normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) was <10% for LCC and SPAD at all the growth stages and at V9 growth stage for NDVI. The LCC, SPAD, and NDVI values adjusted with cumulative growing degree day were not helpful to improve NRMSE.

Field studies were conducted near Knoxville, TN, from 2003 to 2005 to evaluate the response of ‘Thermal Blue’, a new interspecific hybrid Kentucky bluegrass to commonly applied PRE and POST herbicides for weed management. Dithiopyr, oryzalin, oxadiazon, pendimethalin, prodiamine, quinclorac, and trifluralin applied at seeding injured hybrid bluegrass greater than 81% and reduced hybrid bluegrass cover greater than 57%. In a second study, established hybrid bluegrass was treated POST with acetolactate synthase–inhibiting herbicides including bispyribac-sodium, chlorosulfuron, foramsulfuron, halosulfuron, imazapic, imazaquin, metsulfuron, rimsulfuron, sulfosulfuron, and trifloxysulfuron at low and high rates (one and two times the suggested use rates in Kentucky bluegrass or other turfgrasses). By 5 wk after treatment (WAT), foramsulfuron at 88 g ai/ha and trifloxysulfuron at 35 g ai/ha injured hybrid bluegrass greater than 26% and reduced visually estimated quality and chlorophyll meter indices. However, hybrid bluegrass injury was no longer evident at 10 WAT. In a third study, established hybrid bluegrass was treated with clethodim, diclofop-methyl, fluazifop-p-butyl, and sethoxydim applied at low, medium, and high rates (0.5, 1, and 2 times the registered Kentucky bluegrass or other turfgrass use rates). Clethodim applied at 280 and 560 g ai/ha, fluazifop at 420 g ai/ha, and sethoxydim at 630 g ai/ha injured hybrid bluegrass 5 WAT. These treatments also reduced quality (to less than 5 on a scale of 1 to 9) and chlorophyll meter indices (24 to 37%) when compared to the untreated control. By 10 WAT, only clethodim at 560 g ai/ha caused injury (14%). By 10 WAT, hybrid bluegrass had recovered and injury was only observed in plots treated with clethodim at 560 g ai/ha. No differences in chlorophyll indices or quality were observed at 10 WAT for any POST graminicides.

Greenhouse studies were initiated to determine the duration of time after herbicide treatment required to render johnsongrass physiologically noncompetitive. Nicosulfuron, imazapic, clethodim, and glyphosate were applied to rhizomatous johnsongrass at 35, 70, 140, and 840 g ai ha−1, respectively. Net carbon assimilation, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll meter readings, and maximum (dark adapted) efficiency of photosystem II were measured. Net carbon assimilation (A N) was assumed to be the best indicator of johnsongrass competitiveness. Johnsongrass was considered to be physiologically noncompetitive when A N declined below 50% of that of nontreated check. From these data, it was concluded that glyphosate rendered johnsongrass noncompetitive most readily, 4.3 d after treatment, whereas no differences were detected between nicosulfuron, imazapic, or clethodim throughout the experiment. Stomatal conductance (g s) was highly correlated to A N and was determined to be an adequate substitute for A N when determining johnsongrass competitiveness. It was concluded that chlorophyll meter readings and photosystem II efficiency were poor indicators of johnsongrass competitiveness.

Herbicide applications prior to turf renovation often fail to provide complete control of perennial warm-season turfgrass species like seashore paspalum. Surface applications of dazomet at 506 kg/ha provided > 90% POST control of ‘SeaDwarf’ seashore paspalum turf in 2008. Although applications of glyphosate at 5.6 kg/ha or fluazifop-P-butyl at 0.42 kg/ha induced significant injury, these treatments provided < 40% POST control of SeaDwarf seashore paspalum turf 10 wk after initial treatment (WAIT) in 2008. A similar response was noted following applications of glyphosate plus fluazifop-P-butyl at rates of 5.6 kg/ha and 0.42 kg/ha, respectively. POST control following applications of glyphosate at 5.6 kg/ha plus fluazifop-P-butyl at 0.42 kg/ha, prior to applying dazomet at 506 kg/ha, was not different from that which was observed following applications of dazomet alone at 506 kg/ha. These data suggest that granular applications of dazomet alone, at 506 kg/ha, can be used to provide effective control of SeaDwarf seashore paspalum prior to renovation.

Sourgrass is a stoloniferous perennial grassy weed found on golf courses throughout Hawaii. No herbicides are currently labeled for selective control of sourgrass in seashore paspalum turf, a species used regularly on golf courses throughout the tropics. A single granular application of fine salt (99% sodium chloride, 1% sodium silicoaluminate, 83% of particles 0.5 to 0.25 mm in diameter) at a rate of 1,464 kg/ha provided 84 and 23% control of sourgrass 6 wk after initial treatment (WAIT) in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Sequential granular applications of fine salt at 488 kg/ha provided 92 and 96% control of sourgrass in 2007 and 2008, respectively, at 6 WAIT. Granular applications of a coarse salt (100% sodium chloride, 75% of particles 2.0 to 1.0 mm in diameter) provided a lower level of control than fine salt at both the 1,464- and 488-kg/ha rates on three out of four rating dates in 2008; a similar trend was observed in 2007, but no significant differences were observed between these treatments. All salt treatments led to higher soil sodium adsorption ratios (SAR) and electrical conductivity (ECe) than the untreated check; however, levels reported in this study were significantly lower than the threshold SAR and ECe levels that have been associated with reduced seashore paspalum growth. Sequential applications of MSMA at 1.12 kg/ha and MSMA plus metribuzin at 1.12 kg/ha and 0.28 kg/ha, respectively, provided greater than 90% control in 2008, but less than 40% control in 2007. Greater seashore paspalum injury was observed following applications of MSMA and MSMA plus metribuzin than following salt applications. Additional research is needed to evaluate strategies for controlling sourgrass in seashore paspalum turf that do not induce phytotoxic injury after application.

Control of goosegrass is difficult in the pan-Pacific region. No herbicides are currently labeled for selective control of goosegrass in seashore paspalum turf, a species used regularly on golf courses throughout the tropics. Sequential granular applications of sodium chloride (99% sodium chloride, 1% sodium silicoaluminate, 83% 0.5 to 0.25 mm diam) at 488 kg/ha did not effectively (> 70%) control goosegrass in this study. Goosegrass injury following sequential granular applications of sodium chloride, at 488 kg/ha, subsided at 6 wk after initial treatment (WAIT). A single application of MSMA at 2.40 kg/ha plus metribuzin at 0.56 kg/ha provided 96 and 83% control of goosegrass 8 WAIT in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Sequential applications of MSMA plus metribuzin at lower rates yielded similar results. Applications of foramsulfuron did not effectively control (> 70%) goosegrass in this study, suggesting a possible tolerance to this treatment. Applications of MSMA plus metribuzin controlled goosegrass (> 70%), but induced phytotoxic injury to seashore paspalum turf. Additional research is needed to evaluate strategies for POST control of goosegrass in seashore paspalum turf that do not induce phytotoxic turfgrass injury after application.