Influence of planting date and herbicide program on Amaranthus palmeri control in dry bean

Abstract

Abstract Late-emerging summer annual weeds are difficult to control in dry bean production fields. Dry bean is a poor competitor with weeds, due to its slow rate of growth and delayed canopy formation. Palmer amaranth is particularly difficult to control due to season-long emergence and resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides. Dry bean growers rely on PPI and preemergence residual herbicides for the foundation of their weed control programs; however, postemergence herbicides are often needed for season-long weed control. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effect of planting date and herbicide program on late-season weed control in dry bean in western Nebraska. Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 near Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The experiment was arranged in a split-plot design, with planting date and herbicide program as main-plot and sub-plot factor, respectively. Delayed planting was represented by a delay of 15 days after standard planting time. The treatments EPTC + ethalfluralin, EPTC + ethalfluralin fb imazamox + bentazon, and pendimethalin + dimethenamid-P fb imazamox + bentazon, resulted in the lowest Palmer amaranth density three weeks after treatment (WAT) and the highest dry bean yield. The imazamox + bentazon treatment provided poor Palmer amaranth control and did not consistently result in Palmer amaranth density and biomass reduction, compared to the non-treated control. In 2018, the delayed planting treatment had reduced Palmer amaranth biomass with the pendimethalin + dimethenamid-P treatment, as compared to standard planting. Delaying planting did not reduce dry bean yield and had limited benefit in improving weed control in dry bean.