Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) control in corn

Abstract

Soltani, N., McNaughton, K. and Sikkema, P. H. 2015. Field horsetail (Equisetum arvense L.) control in corn. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 983–986. Six field trials were conducted during 2013 and 2014 on various Ontario farms with heavy field horsetail infestations to determine the effectiveness of various postemergence (POST) herbicides for the control of field horsetail in corn. There was minimal and transient corn injury (3% or less) with nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron, flumetsulam or nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+flumetsulam. In contrast, MCPA amine, nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+MCPA amine, flumetsulam+MCPA amine, and nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+flumetsulam+MCPA amine caused as much as 6% injury in corn. Nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron, flumetsulam, MCPA amine, nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+flumetsulam and nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+MCPA amine applied POST controlled field horsetail 22–68% and reduced density 27–64% and biomass 38–77%. Flumetsulam+MCPA amine and nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+flumetsulam+MCPA amine controlled field horsetail 69–83% and reduced density and biomass as much as 87%. Based on these results, flumetsulam+MCPA amine and nicosulfuron/rimsulfuron+flumetsulam+MCPA amine provide the best and most consistent control of field horsetail in corn among POST herbicides evaluated.