Dose Responses of Five Broadleaf Weeds to Saflufenacil

Abstract

Greenhouse dose–response studies were conducted to determine the effectiveness of PRE and POST applications of saflufenacil on blue mustard, flixweed, Palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, and tumble pigweed. Weed species did not differ in their responses to saflufenacil applied PRE. Averaged across species, PRE application of saflufenacil at 6 to 30 g/ha reduced weed biomass 82 to 98%, but biomass did not differ among rates of 12 g/ha or higher. POST application of saflufenacil reduced weed biomass by 92%, averaged across species and rates. On the basis of regression analysis, the 90% plant biomass reduction for saflufenacil applied PRE and POST was 9 and 6 g/ha, respectively. Saflufenacil applied PRE reduced population density by 77 to 98%, averaged across weed species; a rate of 9 g/ha reduced population density 90% (DR90) on the basis of regression analysis. Averaged across species, POST application of 6 to 30 g/ha reduced population density by 63 to 93%, but regression analysis indicated that the DR90 value was greater than 30 g/ha. Averaged across rates, saflufenacil reduced the population density of flixweed, Palmer amaranth, redroot pigweed, tumble pigweed, and blue mustard by 49, 64, 67, 73, and 78%, respectively.