Using Pyroxasulfone for Downy Brome (<i>Bromus tectorum</i> L.) Control in Winter Wheat
- 1 Department of Research Centers, Southern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- 2 Department of Research Centers, Southern Agricultural Research Center, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- 3 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
Abstract
Downy brome is one of the most troublesome weeds in no-till wheat production systems of the US Great Plains. Pyroxasulfone is a relatively new, soil-applied residual herbicide (root/shoot growth inhibitor) labeled for use in wheat. Multiple field experiments were conducted near Huntley, MT from 2012 through 2016 to determine the efficacy of pyroxasulfone to control downy brome in imidazolinone (IMI)-tolerant (Clearfield™) winter wheat. Pyroxasulfone did not cause any injury to wheat in any of the three studies. Downy brome injury with pyroxasulfone preemergence (PRE) only program did not differ between 89 or 178 g · ai (active ingredient) · ha - 1 rates, and averaged 82% and 84% in 2 separate studies. In a preplant (PP) burndown program, the addition of pyroxasulfone (178 g · ai · ha - 1 ) to glyphosate improved downy brome end-season injury from 15 % to 74%. In a separate study, the end-season injury with pyroxasulfone was greater when applied PRE (84%) compared to the delayed PRE (DPRE) timing (74%). In addition, the water dispersible granule (WDG) formulation of pyroxasulfone performed slightly better than the suspension concentrate (SC) formulation for downy brome injury. Pyroxasulfone applied PRE in the fall at a rate of 89 g · ai · ha - 1 followed by (fb) imazamox (44 g · ai · ha - 1 rate) applied postemergence (POST) in the spring effectively controlled downy brome (99% end-season injury). Furthermore, the injury was consistent with the standard program comprising of propoxycarbazone (29 g · ai · ha - 1 ) PRE fb imazamox POST in IMI-tolerant winter wheat. In conclusion, pyroxasulfone applied PRE in the fall can be effectively utilized in conjunction with a standard acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibitor-based POST herbicide program for a season-long downy brome management in winter wheat.
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