A Comparison of Weed Control in Herbicide-Resistant, Herbicide-Tolerant, and Conventional Corn

Abstract

Experiments were conducted at three North Carolina research stations in 2003 to evaluate weed control and corn yield in glyphosate-resistant, glufosinate-resistant, imidazolinone-tolerant, and conventional corn weed management systems. Late-season control of common lambsquarters, large crabgrass, and yellow nutsedge increased with metolachlor PRE compared with no PRE herbicide treatment. Common lambsquarters, pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, spurred anoda, and tropic croton control was improved by a single early POST (EPOST) application regardless of herbicide system. Control of common lambsquarters, pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, and spurred anoda was similar for glyphosate and glufosinate systems for each POST over-the-top (POT) herbicide system. A single EPOST application of imazethapyr plus imazapyr to imidazolinone-tolerant corn controlled common lambsquarters, pitted morningglory, entireleaf morningglory, and spurred anoda and was better than a single EPOST application of glyphosate, glufosinate, or nicosulfuron. Tropic croton was controlled ≥ 95% with glufosinate or glyphosate, applied once or twice, or in mixture with metolachlor. A single EPOST application of imazethapyr plus imazapyr or nicosulfuron did not control tropic croton. Common lambsquarters, entireleaf morningglory, large crabgrass, Palmer amaranth, and yellow nutsedge control was greater with a late-POST–directed (LAYBY) of ametryn than no LAYBY. Systems that did not include a POT herbicide system had the lowest percentage in the weed-free yield and the lowest yield. Treatments that included a POT system with or without a PRE treatment of metolachlor yielded within 5% of the weed-free treatment, regardless of herbicide system.