Quinclorac for Cheat (Bromus secalinus) Control in Winter Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

Thirteen field experiments were conducted to evaluate quinclorac for cheat control in hard red winter wheat. Cheat control with quinclorac was variable. Quinclorac at 560 and 1120 g a.i./ha applied to tillered wheat controlled cheat 93 to 100% at four sites. In contrast, pooled over four other experiments and four application times, quinclorac at 420 g/ha and 560 g/ha controlled cheat only 20 and 31%, respectively. Quinclorac at 420 g/ha plus chlorsulfuron:metsulfuron (5:1) at 35 g a.i./ha applied PRE increased wheat yield 28% at one of three sites. At two of these sites, averaged over chlorsulfuron:metsulfuron rates of 0, 18, and 35 g a.i./ha, quinclorac at 280 and 420 g/ha applied POST, increased wheat yield 32 to 112%. In two cultivar tolerance experiments, quinclorac treatments did not damage any cultivar. Pooled over cultivars, yields were increased 7 and 10% when quinclorac at 280 and 560 kg/ha was applied, respectively. In a greenhouse experiment, quinclorac plus dicamba or esfenvalerate consistently reduced the leaf area of cheat in a manner suggesting synergistic effects. Of eight adjuvants evaluated in a laboratory experiment, only quinclorac plus the adjuvant BCH 864 01S reduced cheat leaf area more than quinclorac alone.