Critical Timing of Weed Removal in Dry Bean as Influenced by the Use of Preemergence Herbicides

The critical timing of weed removal (CTWR) is the point in crop development when weed control must be initiated to prevent crop yield loss due to weed competition. A field study was conducted in 2018 and 2020 near Scottsbluff, NE to determine how the use of preemergence herbicides impacts the CTWR in dry bean. The experiment was arranged as a split-plot, with herbicide treatment and weed removal timing as main and sub plot factors, respectively. Herbicide treatment consisted of no-preemergence, or pendimethalin (1070 g ai ha–1) + dimethenamid-P (790 g ai ha–1) applied preemergence. Sub-plot treatments included season-long weed-free, weed removal at: V1, V3, V6, R2, and R5 dry bean growth stages, and a season-long weedy control. A four-parameter logistic model was used to estimate the impact of time of weed removal, for all response variables including dry bean yield, dry bean plants m–1 row, pods plant–1, seeds pod–1, and seed weight. The CTWR based on 5% yield reduction was estimated to range from the V1 growth stage [(16 d after emergence (DAE)] to the R1 growth stage (39 DAE) in the no-PRE herbicide treatment. In the PRE-applied treatment, the CTWR began at the R2 growth stage (47 DAE). Dry bean plants m–1 row was reduced in the no-preemergence treatment when weed removal was delayed beyond the R2 growth stage in the 2020 field season. The use of preemergence-applied herbicides prevented a reduction in the number of pods plant–1 in 2020, and the number of seeds pod–1 in 2018 and 2020. In 2018, the number of pods plant–1 was reduced by 73% when no-preemergence was applied, compared to 26% in the preemergence-applied treatment. The use of preemergence-applied soil active herbicides in dry bean delayed the CTWR and preserved yield potential.

Weed Control and Tigernut Response to Preemergence Herbicides Applied at Transplanting

Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus var. sativus) is a type of sedge that is quickly becoming popular as a superfood. As demand for tigernut continues to increase, more information is needed to develop weed management strategies for the crop to maximize tuber yield and quality. However, no herbicide is currently labeled for use with tigernut. Experimental trials were conducted in 2017 and 2018 to assess crop safety and control of economically important weeds with preemergence herbicides for transplanted ‘NG3’ and ‘OG’ tigernut. Oxyfluorfen applied alone or mixed with pendimethalin provided excellent control (>85%) of smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus), carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata), and large crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis), and it did not cause any tigernut injury, stunting, or yield reduction compared with the weed-free control. However, none of the treatments controlled hairy galinsoga (Galinsoga quadriradiata) satisfactorily 2 months after herbicide application. Bensulide alone or associated with oxyfluorfen caused 14% to 25% stunting of tigernut. Bensulide alone only provided short-term control of broadleaf weeds. Increased weed competition and tigernut phytotoxicity associated with bensulide resulted in a 39% reduction in tuber yield compared with oxyfluorfen alone. Finally, S-metolachlor caused up to 78% stunting and a 68% reduction in vegetative tigernut biomass (on average) compared with the weed-free control. Tuber yield was reduced 55% to 97% after S-metolachlor was applied at transplanting. Oxyfluorfen would provide effective weed control up to 8 weeks after treatment in fields where hairy galinsoga is not a weed of concern and fulfill the requirement of a weed-free period without affecting tuber yield of quality.

Differential responses of two cowpea (Virgina unguiculata L.Walp.) genotypes to pre-emergence herbicides in the savannah woodland and rainforest agroclimatic regions of Sierra Leone

Field trials were conducted in savannah woodland (Njala) and rainforest (Serabu) agroclimatic regions of Sierra Leone during 2016 second cropping season to assess different preemergence herbicides techniques that is efficient, cost effective and environmentally safe in cowpea production. The experiment consisted of 20 treatments which included 2 cowpea genotypes (slipea 4 and slipea 5) and 10 different weed control techniques viz: butachlor 50% emulsifiable concentrate (EC), double force®, power force® applied as preemergence herbicides at 2, 4 and 6 L ha-1, respectively and weedy check. The treatments were laid out in a strip-plot design arranged in a factorial system with three replications. The results of this study revealed that the application of power force® at 6 L ha-1 recorded the highest phytotoxic effect, lowest weed dry weight, number of pods per plant and grain yield, highest total variable cost, lowest gross and net returns. Furthermore, butachlor 50% EC at 2 L ha-1 closely followed by double force® at 6 L ha-1 resulted in maximum grain yield, gross and net returns compared to the rest of the other weed control techniques. Thus, it is concluded that butachlor 50% EC at 2 L ha-1 was more economical, profitable and beneficial than other control treatments in the production of cowpea genotypes in the savannah woodland and rainforest agroclimatic regions of Sierra Leone. Conclusively, the relationship between phytotoxicity and grain yield indicates that the higher the grain yield the lower the phytotoxic effects of the chemicals.

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Response to Delayed Applications of Preemergence Herbicides Applied 3 or 6 Day after Emergence

Aims: Field studies were conducted to determine sesame response to the pre-emergence herbicides (acetochlor at 1.7 kg ai ha-1; S-metolachlor at 0.72, 1.43, and 2.86 kg ai ha-1; dimethenamid-P at 0.84 kg ai ha-1; pethoxamid at 0.22 kg ai ha-1; pyroxasulfone at 0.09 kg ai ha-1and bicyclopyrone at 0.12 and 0.24 kg ai ha-1) applied 3 or 6 days after 50% emergence. Study Design: Randomized complete block design with 3-4 reps depending on location. Place and Duration of Study: Sesame growing areas of Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas during the 2016 through 2018 growing seasons. Methodology: Treatments consisted of a factorial arrangement of herbicide treatments at two early POST application timings. A non-treated control was included for comparison. Crop oil concentrate (Agridex®, Helena, Collierville, TN 38017) at 1.0% v/v was added to all herbicide treatments. Plot size was either five rows (76 cm apart) by 9.1 m or four rows (101 cm apart) by 7.3 m depending on location. Only the two middle rows were sprayed and the other rows were untreated and served as buffers. Sesame cultivars were seeded approximately 1.0 to 2.0 cm deep at 9 kg/ha at all locations. Injury was evaluated early-season, 7 to 27 days after herbicide application (DAA), and later, 28 to 147 DAA, based on a scale of 0 (no sesame injury) to 100 (complete sesame death). Injury consisted of stuntingand leaf chlorosis and/or necrosis. Results: All herbicides tested resulted in significant injury to sesame at some location and application timing. None of the herbicides evaluated are safe to use early POST on sesame without causing significant injury. Conclusion: The ability of sesame to recover from significant injury and compensate for injury led to no yield loss in many instances. However, levels of injury observed are not acceptable by growers and will not allow the use of these herbicides soon after sesame emergence.

Effects of herbicides on soil enzyme L-asparaginase activity

To study the effect of new generation herbicides on soil enzyme L-asparaginase a field experiment was designed and carried out on maize as test crop. The weed management practices tested were two preemergence herbicides (pendimethalin and atrazine @ 1.0 kg a.i/ha each) and two post-emergence herbicides topramezone @ 25.2 g a.i/ha at 15 DAS,and tembotrione @ 105 g a.i/ha at 15 DAS and combine application of pre- and post emergent herbicides topramezone + atrazine @ 25.2 + 250 g a.i/ha at 15 DAS, tembotrione + atrazine @ 105 + 250 g a.i/ha was applied at 15 DAS and in addition to these the unweeded control and hand weeding (twice at 20 and 40 days) treatments. Soil samples were collected at 15 days intervals and enzyme activity was assayed. In pre-emergence herbicides, control, and hand weeding, there was an increase in the activity of the enzyme from 0 to 60 days and then decrease till harvest, whereas in post emergence herbicide both stimulation and inhibition were observed.

HERBICIDE SELECTIVITY IN PREEMERGENCE OF SWEET SORGHUM CULTIVATED IN DIFFERENT SOIL TEXTURE

Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an interesting alternativefor biomass and ethanol production, however, so far there is very limited knowledge regarding selective herbicide options for weed control in this crop. The objective of this study was to evaluate the selectivity of preemergence herbicides for sweet sorghum. This research was composed by two steps: in the first one, a greenhouse screening was carried out with several herbicide treatments and in the following step the most selective treatments were evaluated on field conditions. In sandy clay loam texture soil, the treatments involving atrazine (1000 and 2000 g ha-1), amicarbazone (210 g ha-1), trifluralin (500 g ha-1) and flumioxazin (25 g ha-1) provided the greatest levels of selectivity to sweet sorghum. In clay soil (64.7% clay), the treatments with atrazine (1000, 1500 and 2000 g ha-1), amicarbazone (280 g ha-1), S-metolachlor (480 g ha-1), [atrazine + S-metolachlor] ([601+471,2 g ha-1), pendimethalin (500 g ha-1) and imazethapyr (42.4 and 63.6 g ha-1) provided the lowest levels of crop injury, and were considered as the most selective for sweet sorghum. Herbicide treatments applied to sandy clay loam soil provided more injuries to sweet sorghum than those applied to clay soil.

Screening preemergence herbicides for weed control in cassava

Weed competition severely constrains cassava root yield in sub-Saharan Africa; thus, good weed control measures, including the use of herbicides, are increasingly important. Herbicide trials were conducted at five locations across eastern, western, and north-central Nigeria over two cropping seasons (2014 and 2015). Nineteen premixed PRE herbicides applied at different rates were evaluated for efficacy on weeds and selectivity on cassava. Manual hoe-weeding at 4, 8, and 12 wk after planting (WAP) and two S-metolachlor + atrazine treatments commonly used by cassava growers were included for comparison. Six of the 19 PRE herbicide treatments (indaziflam + isoxaflutole, indaziflam + metribuzin, flumioxazin + pyroxasulfone, isoxaflutole, acetochlor + atrazine + terbuthylazine, and terbuthylazine + S-metolachlor) consistently provided 80% to 98% broadleaf and grass weed control up to 8 wk after treatment. Overall, PRE herbicide treatments and cassava yield were significantly positively correlated. Herbicide treatments terbuthylazine + S-metolachlor, flumioxazin + pyroxasulfone, diflufenican + flufenacet + flurtamone (respectively, 60 + 60 + 60, 120 + 120 + 120, 90 + 360 + 120, and 135 + 360 + 180 g ha−1), acetochlor + atrazine + terbuthylazine (875 + 875 + 875 g ha−1), S-metolachlor + atrazine (870 + 1,110 g ha−1), oxyfluorfen (240 g ha−1), indaziflam + isoxaflutole (75 + 225 g ha−1), indaziflam + metribuzin (75 + 960 g ha−1), and aclonifen + isoxaflutole (500 + 75 g ha−1) contributed to yields exceeding twice the Nigerian national average of 8.76 tonnes ha−1. These treatments had root yields of 1.4 to 2 times higher than plots that had been hoe-weeded three times. There were some adverse herbicide treatment effects such as delayed cassava sprouting and temporary leaf bleaching observed in indaziflam and diflufenican + flufenacet + flurtamone treatments, whereas sulfentrazone caused prolonged leaf crinkling. The PRE applications alone at rates safe for cassava did not provide adequate season-long weed control; supplemental POST weed control is needed about 10 WAP for satisfactory season-long control.

Use of Glyphosate and Herbicide Alternatives for Weed Control in Florida Landscape Planting Beds

This new 10-page article is written for landscape professionals and those maintaining landscape areas to guide them in selecting alternatives to glyphosate (the active ingredient in RoundUp®) for postemergence weed control in Florida. Information is also included on preemergence herbicides and integrated weed management (use of chemical and non-chemical controls), which should be the basis of a weed management program. Written by Chris Marble, Joe Neal, and Andy Senesac, and published by the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep580