Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) competition increased the losses in yield of both wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) with increased densities of seedlings. At Fargo in 1965, wild oat densities of 70 and 160 seedlings/sq yd reduced the wheat yield 22.1% and 39.1%, respectively, compared to the wild oat-free check. Similar wild oat densities reduced the barley yield 6.5% and 25.9%, respectively. The addition of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer reduced the yield loss caused by wild oat 2 out of 3 years of the experiment. Although a considerable yield reduction occurred in barley and wheat, percent protein and seed size were not influenced noticeably.

Thirteen selections of kochia(Kochia scoparia(L.) Schrad.), self-pollinated for four generations, varied in response to (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D) and 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba). The most susceptible selection was injured more by 0.35 kg/ha of the dimethylamine salt of 2,4-D than the most tolerant by 0.70 kg/ha based on visual injury rating, growth in plant diameter relative to untreated controls, and seed production. The 0.28 kg/ha rate of dicamba injured the most susceptible selection as much as 0.54 kg/ha injured the most tolerant based on visual injury rating and change in plant diameter. Plant size and maturity influenced the response of kochia to herbicides, but the differences in response among selections could not be explained by variations in size or maturity. All kochia selections were tolerant to 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) at 4.28 kg/ha.

Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) competition severely reduced flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) yield. Averaged over two locations and two fertility levels, 80 wild oat plants/sq yd reduced the yield 9.4 bu/A (60.1%) in 1964 and 160 wild oat plants/sq yd reduced the yield 21.5 bu/A (82.1%) in 1965. At Fargo, 160 wild oat plants/sq yd reduced flaxseed yield 16.1 bu/A (86.1%) in 1966. Flaxseed yield components, including bolls/sq ft, seeds/boll, plants/sq ft, and weight/1000 flaxseed were determined. Although all components were reduced by wild oat competition, a reduction in the number of branches and flax bolls/sq ft accounted for 90.7% of the yield loss. A reduction in weight/1000 seed and the number of flax plants/sq ft contributed 7.0% and 4.6% to the yield loss, respectively. Competition from wild oat also reduced flaxseed quality. The percent oil was reduced in all 3 years of the experiment. Iodine number of the oil was reduced, primarily because of an increase in oleic acid and a decrease in linolenic acid.

Floral induction in kochia(Kochia scoparia(L.) Schrad.) was influenced more by light period and temperature than by soil fertility or soil moisture. Floral induction occurred when the light period per 24-hr cycle was shorter than a critical length. However, the critical duration of light per 24-hr cycle at which floral induction occurred varied from about 13 to 15 hr among kochia selections. The time from emergence to flowering varied from 57 to 100 days. The kochia selection from New Mexico required a shorter light period and a longer time after emergence for floral induction than did selections from North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. Kochia selections from the latter three states varied greatly in flowering date.

Wild oat (Avena fatua L.) was removed at several stages of growth from flax (Linam usitatissimum L.) plots in 1964, 1965, and 1966. The flaxseed yield was reduced as the period of competition increased during each year. In 1965, competition from wild oat until the 4 to 5-leaf stage reduced the flaxseed yield 15.1% while competition until maturity reduced the yield 74.9%. The number of bolls/sq ft also was reduced as the period of competition increased; but the number of seed/boll, plants/sq ft, and the weight/1000 seed were not affected consistently by wild oat competition. Both the percent oil of flaxseed and the iodine number of the oil were reduced by wild oat competition, but not until the wild oat was in the heading stage and the flax was in the boll stage.

Thirty-six collections of foxtail barley(Hordeum jubatumL.) from North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Montana varied in susceptibility to 1-(2-methylcyclohexyl)-3-phenylurea (siduron) as determined from radicle elongation of treated seeds. Data from F2seedlings of crosses between tolerant and susceptible selections indicated that three complementary dominant factors control the inheritance of siduron tolerance in foxtail barley. Evolution of siduron-tolerant foxtail barley could occur from selection pressure.

Phenyl-substituted analogues of 2-[(phenylmethyl)sulfonyl]pyridine 1-oxide preemergent herbicides were examined in order to determine quantitative relationships between structure and activity against the following three weed species: switch grass (Panicum virgatum L.), barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli L. Beauv.), and green foxtail (Setaria viridis L. Beauv.). Analogues were chosen to provide maximum parameter orthogonality. Regression analysis yielded structure-activity relationships wherein the most significant substituent parameters associated with herbicidal activity were found to be the partition coefficient (pi), the molar refractivity (MR), and two indicator variables, Z (denoting the presence of an alpha-methyl group) and H (denoting an ortho substituent capable of hydrogen bonding). For green foxtail, the structure-activity relationship was found to be: -log ED50 = 0.43 pi -0.052MR + 0.50H + 0.24Z + 0.61, where ED50 is expressed in moles per acre. The regression equations were found to explain 79-93% of the bioactivity for the three weed species studied. It was further shown that these equations represent the best possible correlations within the limitations of the biological data.

All hybrid plants from interspecific crosses among the three species, Sonchus asper (L.) Hill, S. oleraceus L., and S. arvensis L., were male‐sterile, but the progeny of the cross S. arvensis X S. oleraceus and reciprocal cross produced seed after backcrossing to the male parent. Hybrid plants from crosses between S. oleraceus and S. asper lacked vigor. Cytological data indicated that S. arvensis has one genome in common with S. asper and that S. oleraceus is an autotetraploid (2n = 36) with no genomes in common with S. arvensis or S. asper.