Evaluation of Herbicides for Roadside Weed Control in New Mexico
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Evaluation of Herbicides for Roadside Weed Control in New Mexico Item Type text; Article Authors Quimby, P. C.; McDonald, R. L.; Lohmiller, R. G.; Brammer, R. L. Citation Quimby, P. C., McDonald, R. L., Lohmiller, R. G., & Brammer, R. L. (1978). Evaluation of herbicides for roadside weed control in New Mexico. Journal of Range Management, 31(4), 270-273. DOI 10.2307/3897598 Publisher Society for Range Management Journal Journal of Range Management Rights Copyright © Society for Range Management. Download date 25/09/2021 17:06:07 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Version Final published version Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/646649 Evaluation of Herbicides for Roadside Weed Control in New Mexico P. C. QUIMBY, JR., R. L. MCDONALD, R. G. LOHMILLER, AND R. L. BRAMMER Highlight: Twenty-eight herbicides or combinations of the second and third season after planting. Mowing the newly herbicides were evaluated for selecting control for kochia and established grass stands, even for weed control, is undesirable Russian thistle in grasses desirable for roadside erosion control: because the young grass seedlings need as much top growth as sideoats grama, sand dropseed, western wheatgrass, Indian rice- possible during the first growing season to establish their root grass, and threeawn. Based on their ability to control weeds with- system. Moreover, it is difficult to mow all the grass before the out injuring desirable grasses, treatments that were superior to weeds get a good start and offer serious competition to the grass. the bromacil standard (2 lb/acre) were: bromoxynil at 0.5 and 1 The purpose of this project was to evaluate herbicides for lb/acre, dicamba at 1 lb/acre, and 2,4-D amine at 3 lb/acre. control of annual weeds, such as kochia and Russian thistle, in established stands of grasses that were planted or had volun- teered from indigenous stands along highways in New Mexico. The control of annual broadleaved weeds in seedings of native grasses along roadsides in low rainfall areas of New Materials and Methods Mexico (Quimby 1971) is quite different from the control of The herbicides were evaluated for: low toxicity to established, noxious perennial grasses encountered along highways in desirable grasses; an acceptable level of control of the undesirable higher rainfall areas, e.g., Oklahoma (Huffine et al. 1968), annual weeds; and minimum hazard to crops and ornamentals growing Arkansas (Sckerl et al. 1966), and Mississippi (Hussey 1966; adjacent to or within the right-of-way. The major herbicide previously used by the highway department Snuggs 1973). In New Mexico, the Soil Conservation Service was bromacil (Table l), a nonselective soil sterilant, at 2 lb/acre. It has suggested the use of native grasses for “critical area” was included in the tests, along with another soil sterilant, karbutilate stabilization (Lohmiller 1971). Dates selected for seeding are (Table I) to establish an index of grass injury and weed control for those with the highest probability of receiving 0.6 inch or more these chemicals. precipitation during each of two, consecutive, 3-week periods. Fifteen herbicides (Table 1) were applied at various rates and com- A minimum probability of 60% is preferred, and dates within binations (28 treatments total) to plots replicated in quadruplicate in a the “rainy” season of July, August, and early September are randomized complete block design at three locations along Interstate usually selected (Lohmiller 197 1; Brammer 197 1). Rainfall 25 and Interstate 40 in the vicinity of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in during these 3 months may constitute about half the annual August, 197 1. These three areas were selected to include as large a precipitation for much of the state. Weeds and grasses compete number of plant species as possible in the treatments. for this limited moisture. Herbicides wereapplied with a push-type bicycle sprayer delivering Russian thistle (Sal.sola kali L. var. terzuifolia Tausch) and 25 gal/acre of carrier on a 36-inch wide strip. A nonionic surfactant at kochia [Kochiu scopariu (L.) Schrad.] are the worst weed 0.5% (v/v) was included with all treatments. Treated areas were mowed at irregular intervals by the New Mexico State Highway problems in roadside seedings of native grasses in New Mexico. Mowning is recommended the first year of seeding for the control Table 1. List of herbicides evaluated in 1971 for control of weeds along of Russian thistle when it is the predominant weed. The mowed roadsides in New Mexico. thistles provide some cover for the soil and shade the new grass seedlings without undue competition. However, even when Common name Chemical name i-lowed, kochia competes strongly for water and nutrients, and a Benefin N-butyl-N-ethyl-a,cr,a-trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine dense stand can completely crowd out the grass seedlings. In Bromacil 5-bromo-3-set-butyl-6-methyluracil those areas that cannot be mowed (e.g., along steep slopes in Bromoxynil 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile Chlotflurenol Methyl 2-chloro-9-hydroxyfluorene-9-carboxylate interchanges), Russian thistle and kochia often crowd out new 2,4-D amide (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetamide grass seedlings and compete with the established grasses during 2,4-D amine (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) acetamine DCPA dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate Dicamba 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid At the time of the research, authors were plant physiologist and agricultural research technician, Plant Science Research Division, Agricultural Research Service; soil con- Fenac (2,3,6-trichlorophenyl) acetic acid servationist, Soil Conservation Service, U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture, Los Lunas, New Karbutilate rert-butylcarbamic acid ester with 3(m-hydroxyphenyl)- Mexico; and horticulturist, New Mexico State Highway Dep.,Santa Fe. Quimby is 1,l -dimethylurea presently plant physiologist, Southern Weed Sci. Lab., Stoneville, Mississippi; McDonald is agricultural research technician, Cotton Physiology Lab., Phoenix, Arizona; Methazole 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-4-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazolidine- Lohmiller is plant materials specialist, Soil Conserv. Serv., U.S. Dep. Agr., Bozeman, 3,5-dione Montana; and Brammer is principal landscape architect, Construction Div., New Mexico MH 1,2-dihydro-3,6_pyridazinedione State Highway Dep., Santa Fe. Picloram 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid The report represents cooperative investigation of Sci. and Educ. Admin. and Soil Simazine 2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine Con\crv. Serv., U.S. Dep. Agr. and the New Mexico State Highway Dep. 2,3,6-TBA 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid Manuscript received June 16, 1977. 270 JOURNAL OF RANGE MANAGEMENT31 (4), July 1978 Department. Plots were visually evaluated by three or four observers at Table 2. Mean weed control scores for herbicides evaluated 3 and 6 weeks 3 and 6 weeks after treatment. Weed control and grass injury scores after application in August, 1971, for control of Russian thistle and were based on 0 = no injury; 100 = dead. Weed control scores were kochia along roadsides at Tiieras Canyon and Interstate 40 (I-40) 2 miles averages of the two visual estimates of percent kill of weeds and west of Albuquerque, N. Mex. percent injury to weeds at the time of evaluation (postemergence Location effects) at Tijeras Canyon and Interstate 40 west of Albuquerque. The percent kill of weed seedlings (preemergence effect) was included in Tijeras I-40 west of the average of Tijeras Canyon where seedlings had emerged after Rate Canyon Albuquerque Mean treatment. A performance index score (PI) was calculated for each Treatment (lb/acre) (score) (score) (score) treatment by subtracting the mean percent injury to grasses (all Bromacil 2 lOOa’ 1OOa 1OOa locations) from the mean weed control score. The data were subjected Karbutilate 2 97a 1OOa 98a to analyses of variance and standard errors of means (Sz) and co- 2,4-D amine + methazole 1+3 95 a 98a 96 ab 1 86 ab IOOa 93 ab ettlclents of variation (CV) were calculated. The means were compared Karbutilate 2,4-D amine + methazole 1+1 77 abc 1OOa 88 abc with Duncan’s multiple range test at the .Ol level of significance. Dicamba 1 66bcd 1OOa 83 a-d Bromoxynil 1 66 bed 1OOa 83 a-d Highway Areas Selected for Herbicide Evaluation 2,4-D amine 3 58 cd 91a 74 a-d 2,4-D amine + DCPA 1+4 65 bed 82 ab 74 a-d Dicamba 0.5 57 cd 90a 73 a-e This area was located east of Tijeras Canyon on the median of I-40 Bromoxynil 0.5 47 def 98a 73 a-e and began about 100 ft west of the State Road 2 17 overpass. The 2,4-D amine + 2,4-D amide 1+2 54 cde 89a 72 a-e median was about 60 ft wide; the plots were approximately 50 ft long. 2,4-D amine + 2,4-D amide 1+1 53 cde 89a 71 a-e 2,4-D amine 2 55 cd 81ab 68 a-f The Highway Department had reseeded the area. The predominant 2,4-D amine + fenac 1+3 47 def 88 ab 68 a-f grass was western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii Rydb.) with some 2,4-D amine 1 44 def 88 ab 66 a-f squirreltail [Sitanion hystrix (Nutt.) J. G. Smith), Kentucky bluegrass Picloram + 2,4-D amine 0.25+0.5 44def 86 ab 65 a-f (Pact pratensis L.), sideoats grama [Bouteloua curtipendula Michx.) 2,4-D amine + Benefin 1+1 40 d-g 89a 64 a-f Tort-.], and sand dropseed [Sporobolus cryptandrus (Torr.) A. Gray). 2,4-D amine + fenac 0.5+1.5 26 fgh 95a 60 a-f Kochia had developed to a good stand over most of the area.