Factors Influencing Activity of Acetanilide Herbicides on Processing Peas (Pisum sativum) and Annual Weeds

Abstract

A charcoal barrier was used to determine the importance of root, shoot, and seed exposure on the activity of nine acetanilide herbicides to peas (Pisum sativumL.) grown in a greenhouse. Greater reduction of plant weight occurred from root exposure than from shoot exposure. For all herbicides, the average reduction in shoot and root weight from shoot exposure was 7 and 20%, respectively; and root exposure reduced shoot and root weight 15 and 40%, respectively. The average reduction in shoot and root weight from exposing all plant parts to herbicides was 47 and 69%, respectively. Seed exposure had no influence on plant weight. This response indicates that pea roots are the primary site of activity for many acetanilide herbicides, and provides support to previous findings that showed rainfall was necessary to leach acetanilide herbicides down to the root zone of processing peas for maximum reduction of shelled pea yield. Field studies, conducted over a 2-yr period, were designed to evaluate annual weed control and pea injury from preemergence and early postemergence applications of seven acetanilide herbicides. Shelled pea yield was not reduced by any treatment. All treatments provided good to excellent grass control and fair to good broadleaf weed control.