Cogongrass, a rhizomatous perennial, is among the world's most troublesome weeds. Research was conducted at the Southern Weed Science Research Unit, Stoneville, MS, to determine cogongrass rhizome mortality with increasing temperature and duration of exposure to heat and to determine if 2,3,5 triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) could be used to evaluate cogongrass rhizome mortality following heat treatment. Cogongrass rhizome mortality was 100% at 65, 79, 93, 107, 121, 149, 177, and 187 C at time periods greater than or equal to 25, 5, 2.5, 2.5, 2.5, 2, 2 and 1 min, respectively. The duration of heat required for cogongrass mortality decreases as temperature increased. The standard greenhouse bioassay was more effective than tetrazolium chloride in predicting viability of cogongrass rhizomes following heat treatments.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted to examine the effect of glyphosate on reproductive development in sicklepod. Glyphosate was applied postemergence over the top at 112 and 280 g ai/ha to sicklepod at 4-leaf stage (L), 8-L, 4-L followed by 8-L, and 12-L. A nontreated control was included. Immediately after the 12-L application, number of flowers was recorded for all treatments twice per week for 8 wk. Pollen viability was measured on 1 open flower/plant/sampling time using Alexander stain. The number of pods, pod length, seeds per plant, 50-seed weight, total seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and dry weight of aboveground biomass were also recorded. No significant differences among the treatments were found for average pod length, 50-seed weight, seed germination, seed viability, and aboveground biomass. The nontreated had 18 flowers counted over 8 wk. Glyphosate applied at 12-L and sequentially at 4-L and 8-L, averaged over glyphosate rates, reduced cumulative flower production after 8 wk by 65 and 54%, respectively, compared with the nontreated. Similarly, glyphosate at 280 g/ha, averaged over treatment timings, reduced flower production by 58% compared with the nontreated. Because the number of flowers produced was limited by glyphosate treatment due to flower abscission, pollen viability measurements could not be analyzed because of large numbers of missing data points. The number of pods, seeds, and total seed weight were reduced by 79, 80, and 81%, respectively, with 280 g/ha of glyphosate compared with the nontreated.