EFFICACY OF FLURIDONE-BASED HERBICIDE PROGRAMS IN COTTON AND PEANUT. M. W. Marshall*; Clemson University, Blackville, SC (13)

ABSTRACT

Glyphosate and ALS-resistant weeds, including Palmer amaranth, have growers and industry searching for additional herbicide mode-of-action alternatives for use in cotton and peanut. Previous studies have shown fluridone is highly efficacious on glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth and other economically important weed species.  Fluridone typically provides up to 8 weeks of residual activity when properly activated.  Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine at-plant fluridone combinations on weed control and crop response in cotton and peanuts.  Field studies were conducted at Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville, SC in 2014. Experimental design was a randomized complete block with 4 replications with individual plot sizes of 3.9 by 12 m.  Phytogen Widestrike 499 cotton was seeded at 9.7 seeds/cm on May 26, 2014.  Virginia type peanut ‘Bailey’ was seeded at 15.2 seeds/cm on May 30, 2014.  In the cotton study, preemergence (PRE) herbicides were applied in water on May 26, 2014, followed by POST1 at 2-4 leaf and POST2 at 6-7 leaf growth stage at a carrier volume of 15 GPA.  At-plant preemergence (PRE) treatments were fluridone at 0.06, 0.11, 0.14, 0.17 kg/ha in combination with fomesafen at 0.14 kg/ha and fomesafen at 0.28 kg/ha + diuron at 0.28 kg/ha.  The PRE treatments were followed by two postemergence (POST) applications of glufosinate at 0.59 kg/ha plus acetochlor at 1.26 kg/ha.  Percent weed control and crop injury ratings were collected at POST1, POST2, and LAYBY timings on a 0 to 100% scale with 0 indicating no control and 100% equal to complete control.  In the peanut study, PRE herbicides were applied in water on May 30, 2014 followed by early POST at 2-3 trifoliate stage and mid-POST at 30 days after planting.  Soil residual treatment included fluridone at 0.11 and 0.17 kg/ha + flumioxazin at 0.11 kg/ha, fluridone at 0.17 kg/ha + fomesafen at 0.14 kg/ha, and flumioxazin alone at 0.11 kg/ha.  Early POST treatment was paraquat at 0.18 kg/ha + bentazon at 0.56 kg/ha + acifluorfen at 0.28 kg/ha + s-metolachlor at 1.06 kg/ha followed by a mid-POST treatment was imazapic at 0.07 kg/ha + acetochlor at 1.26 kg/ha across all plots except the untreated. Percent weed control and crop injury ratings were collected at early POST and mid-POST timings.  Weed control data and cotton and peanut crop injury were analyzed using ANOVA and means separated at the P = 0.05 level.  Overall, no significant crop response to fluridone was observed in peanut or cotton.  The fluridone plus fomsafen combinations provided excellent Palmer amaranth, large crabgrass, and pitted morningglory control at the POST1 evaluation.  Any weed escapes were controlled by the glufosinate plus acetochlor POST applications.  At 10 weeks after planting, all treatments provided 100% or greater control of Palmer amaranth, pitted morningglory, and large crabgrass.  No differences in weed control performance was noted among the different rates of fluridone in cotton.  Similar to the cotton data, fluridone plus flumioxazin and fluridone plus fomesafen provided 90% or better control at 30 days after planting (mid-POST application timing) in peanuts.  At the use rates tested, the Virginia type peanuts seemed to tolerate fluridone; however, previous studies have shown crop response in the runner type peanuts.  Overall, fluridone as part of a robust management program provided good to excellent control of Palmer amaranth, pitted morningglory, and large crabgrass in cotton and peanuts.  Fluridone, as part of an integrated program, would reduce the selection pressure on the PPO inhibitors, fomesafen and flumioxazin, in both production systems.