Quizalofop controlled 2- to 3-leaf and 5- to 6-leaf red rice better than fluazifop-P, haloxyfop, or sethoxydim applied alone. Red rice control increased when acifluorfen was tank mixed with haloxyfop, fluazifop-P, or sethoxydim. Antagonism was most severe when imazaquin was tank mixed with any of the grass herbicides. The efficacy of sethoxydim, fluazifop-P, and haloxyfop was reduced when applied with chlorimuron or bentazon. In greenhouse experiments, all of the grass herbicides, except for fenoxaprop, reduced fresh weight of red rice 71% or more. Based on fresh weight reduction, acifluorfen, fomesafen, and lactofen only reduced the activity of fluazifop-P, while imazaquin decreased the activity of all grass herbicides.

Both alachlor at 3.6 kg ai/ha and metolachlor at 2.8 kg ai/ha applied preplant incorporated consistently controlled red rice 82% and 90%, respectively, over a 3-yr period. Averaged across years, only mefluidide at 0.14 kg ai/ha plus bentazon at 0.84 kg ai/ha, haloxyfop at 0.28 kg ai/ha, and quizalofop at 0.14 kg ai/ha applied postemergence controlled red rice comparable to the preplant herbicide treatments. High rates of sethoxydim and fluazifop (0.56 kg ai/ha), haloxyfop (0.28 kg ai/ha), and quizalofop (0.14 kg ai/ha) were needed to obtain soybean yields equivalent to alachlor and metolachlor.

The potential for use of compounds isolated from diverse sources, ranging from microbial to higher plants, has received increasing attention. These natural products represent a vast array of chemistries and mechanisms of action often having the requisite specificities to be ideal herbicides. Tentoxin, a cyclic tetrapeptide, has potent chlorosis activity on a variety of weeds of soybean and corn while not affecting these crops. Investigations into this toxin's mechanism suggest several enzyme target sites for the development of herbicidal analogues, each having the inherent specificity of the parent compound. Structure/activity relationships determined so far may permit a directed synthesis of efficacious analogues. New insights into biosynthesis of the toxin suggest possible means of increasing production to allow economical exploitation of the toxin itself as a herbicide.

Competitive and economic thresholds are distinctive and important concepts to weed scientists. The producer is most concerned about the economic threshold because of its importance in production decisions. The three additive research techniques to determine competitive weed thresholds are removal or plant-back, paired plot, and area of influence. Each method has advantages and disadvantages and must be conducted in a specific manner in the field. The area of influence technique is the most accurate for determining the influence of a single weed. Data must be reported in a usable form such as percent yield reduction. An example calculation for determining the two weed thresholds is illustrated with common cocklebur in soybeans. Generally, the economic threshold is one-half to one-third the competitive threshold.

Antagonism was evaluated among four grass and seven broadleaf herbicides applied postemergence for seedling and rhizome johnsongrass control in soybeans. Imazaquin and chlorimuron were most antagonistic to grass herbicides. Haloxyfop and quizalofop were least affected by the addition of broadleaf herbicides. Johnsongrass control was reduced 11 to 46% when grass herbicides were applied with broadleaf herbicides and were evaluated 3 and 12 weeks after treatment (WAT).

A decision criterion is presented for postemergence johnsongrass control in soybeans. Models derived from actual data describing the relationship between johnsongrass density (X) and soybean yield loss are used to develop the decision criterion for soybeans planted in 0.25- and 1-m row spacings. The yield loss equations are L1 = 424–424 exp (-0.023X2) for 0.25-m row spacing and L2 = 643-643 exp (−0.004X2) for 1-m row spacing. When combined with the cost of control (Px) and the expected price of soybeans (Py), these equations can be used to find the density thresholds where johnsongrass control becomes profitable. For the 0.25-m row spacing, this relationship was Px = Py [424–424 exp (−0.023X2) or more simply Px = Py L1, which equates the cost of control to the value of the soybean yield increase from control. The johnsongrass density (X) that satisfies this equality is the threshold (X*) above which control is profitable.

The productivity of herbicides used in corn and soybeans was calculated from field data collected in Ontario from 1967 to 1985. Combinations of preplant incorporated and preemergence treatments were selected and were evaluated to determine their effect on crop yield. Corn and soybean yields increased from herbicide use, thereby resulting in a positive net benefit to growers. Benefit/cost ratios for herbicide use in corn and soybeans were calculated to be 2.8/1 and 2.6/1, respectively, at an average price of $132/1000 kg for corn and $275/1000 kg for soybeans. The benefit/cost ratios varied with test location, method of herbicide application, and prevailing market price.

Nine field experiments were conducted from 1984 through 1988 to determine the effect on rice of imazaquin applied to soybeans the previous growing season. Imazaquin was applied preplant incorporated, preemergence, or postemergence at rates ranging from 70 to 560 g ai/ha. ‘Bond’, ‘Lemont’, ‘Mars', ‘Newbonnet’, and ‘Tebonnet’ rice were planted the following year. Across all locations, years, cultivars, soil series, methods of application, and imazaquin rates, rice injury symptoms were not observed, and rice grain yields were not reduced by imazaquin residues.