Yellow Nutsedge Control with Soft-Incorporated Herbicides

Abstract

Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to study the influence of 12 soil-applied herbicides on the sprouting and mortality of yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentusL.) tubers. Alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide], butachlor [N-(butoxymethyl)-2-chloro-2′,6′-diethylacetanilide], cycloate (S-ethyl N-ethylthiocyclohexanecarbamate), EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate), napropamide [2-(α-naphthoxy)-N,N-diethylpropionamide], and U-27267 (3,4,5-tribromo-N,N,α-trimethylpyrazole-1-acetamide) delayed sprouting of tubers and provided 6 to 12 weeks control, but failed to kill tubers. Tubers appeared to escape injury by failing to sprout until activity of the herbicides had substantially dissipated. Herbicides known to interfere with photosynthesis, atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine], bromacil (5-bromo-3-sec-butyl-6-methyluracil), methazole [2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolidine-3,5-dione], prometryne [2,4-bis(isopropylamino)-6-(methylthio)-s-triazine], San-6706 [4-chloro-5-(dimethylamino)-2-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone], and terbacil (3-tert-butyl-5-chloro-6-methyluracil) did not delay sprouting of tubers, but killed shoots after emergence. In addition to controlling vegetative growth, the photosynthetic inhibitors killed tubers by rapidly exhausting the food reserves of these storage organs.