Imazaquin {2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid} sorption and mobility were studied in five Alabama soils ranging from sandy loam to clay. Techniques included thinlayer soil chromatography, batch equilibrium, and soil solution recovery. Imazaquin was mobile in all soils with Rfvalues of 0.8 to 0.9. Sorption based on batch equilibrium was minimal with Kdvalues ranging from 0.001 to 0.21. The soil solution recovery technique was used to evaluate imazaquin sorption in each soil as influenced by imazaquin concentration, wetting and drying, and pH. As herbicide concentration added to the soils was increased from 0.1 to 10 mg/kg, the amount of14C-imazaquin in soil solution increased. Temporarily drying each soil to 25 or 50% of field capacity resulted in maximum sorption of imazaquin. Lowering the pH enhanced sorption in all soils such that the amount of imazaquin in solution ranged from 38 (low pH) to 100% (high pH). Soil sorption appeared to be governed by the pH-dependent charge surfaces from aluminum and iron oxyhydroxides (specifically hematite and gibbsite) and kaolinite.

Annual bluegrass is commonly controlled by acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicides in managed turfgrass. An annual bluegrass population with suspected resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides was collected from Grand National Golf Course in Opelika, AL (GN population). Subsequent testing confirmed resistance of the GN population to foramsulfuron, trifloxysulfuron, bispyribac-sodium (bispyribac), and imazaquin when compared to a susceptible population collected locally at Auburn University (AU population). Sequencing of the ALS gene revealed a point mutation resulting in an amino acid substitution at Trp574. Cloning of the ALS gene surrounding the Trp574 region yielded two distinct ALS gene sequences: one producing Trp574 and one producing Leu574. Trp574 to Leu has been previously correlated with resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. Both AU and GN gene sequences contained other similar silent and missense mutations. This research confirms resistance of annual bluegrass to ALS-inhibiting herbicides with Trp574 to Leu amino acid substitution being the most likely mode of resistance based on past literature.

Tolerance of species to foliar applications of the ethyl ester of chlorimuron as determined in greenhouse studies with 21-day-old seedlings was: soybean = peanut > prickly sida > sicklepod > Florida beggarweed > common cocklebur. Absorption of foliar-applied14C-chlorimuron 72 h after application was similar in soybean, peanut, sicklepod, common cocklebur, and prickly sida, but much less in Florida beggarweed. Slight symplasmic and apoplasmic translocation of the herbicide was evident in all species. Metabolism of chlorimuron 72 h after application was greatest in soybean and least in common cocklebur. Species tolerance to chlorimuron was directly correlated (r2= 0.93) to the amount of unmetabolized chlorimuron (dpm/g dry wt) in the plant. Peanut exhibited increased tolerance to chlorimuron with age; this result was attributed to reduced absorption and translocation and more extensive metabolism of the absorbed herbicide by older plants.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the response of purple and yellow nutsedges to selective soil placement of 5 cm of soil treated with imazethapyr above and/or below the nutsedge tubers. Early postemergence (EPOST) or postemergence (POST) imazethapyr treatments at 71 g ai/ha as a foliar, soil, or foliar + soil application was also evaluated. Imazethapyr placement above or below the nutsedge tuber generally increased shoot number, shoot dry weight (SW), shoot regrowth dry weight (SRW), and root tuber dry weight (RTW) production in both species, 28 and 42 days after treatment (DAT) compared with the control. However, the 5-cm above + 5-cm below tuber treatment at 14, 28, and 42 DAT reduced purple nutsedge shoot number, SW, SRW, and RTW to 19, 7, 14, and 26% of the control, respectively. Yellow nutsedge shoot number was 103% of the control with the 5-cm above + 5-cm below tuber treatment 42 DAT. The 5-cm above + 5-cm below tuber treatment reduced yellow nutsedge SW, SRW, and RTW to 43, 44, and 23% of the control, respectively, 28 and 42 DAT. EPOST and POST foliar + soil and soil-only applications reduced SW 28 d after treatment (DAT) to 13% or less of the control for both species. SRWs of both species were ≤ 53% of the control 42 DAT for the soil-only application. The foliar-only treatment was the least effective in SW, SRW, and RTW reductions.

Imazethapyr was applied at 0.14 kg ae/ha to soybean, peanut, sicklepod. Florida beggarweed, and redroot pigweed as either a soil, foliar, or soil plus foliar application. Soybean and peanut were the most tolerant species; redroot pigweed was the most sensitive, with sicklepod and Florida beggarweed being intermediate. Foliar or foliar plus soil applications were more effective in reducing sicklepod and Florida beggarweed fresh weights than soil application alone. Foliar absorption of14C-imazethapyr 72 h after treatment was greater than 90% for soybean, peanut, sicklepod, and redroot pigweed, but only 77% in Florida beggarweed. For the species evaluated, the amount translocated from the treated leaf ranged from 5 to 16% after 72 h. Within this same time period, an average of 90% of the root-absorbed imazethapyr had been translocated to the shoot in all species except peanut. The half-life of imazethapyr was 6.6, 6.5, 14.4, 24.0, and 32.1 days in soybean, peanut, Florida beggarweed, sicklepod, and redroot pigweed, respectively. Tolerance was most closely associated with imazethapyr half-life within these species.

Sulfentrazone persistence in soil requires many crop rotational restrictions. The sorption and mobility of sulfentrazone play an important role in its soil persistence. Thus, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to mimic the soil properties of cation and anion exchange with different intermediates. The molecular characterization and ionization shift of sulfentrazone from a neutral molecule to an anion were determined using a three-dimensional graphing technique and titration curve, respectively. Sorption and mobility of 2.6 × 10−5 M 14C-sulfentrazone were evaluated using a soil solution technique with ion exchange resins and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. Solution pH ranged from 4.0 to 7.4. As pH increased, sulfentrazone sorption to an anion resin increased and its sorption to a cation resin decreased. Percent sulfentrazone in solution was pH-dependent and ranged between 0 to 18% and 54 to 88% for the anion and cation resins, respectively. Mobility of sulfentrazone on a 20% polyacryalmide gel resulted in Rf values of +0.02 and +0.39 for pH of 4.0 and 7.4, respectively. A double peak for sulfentrazone was detected in the polyacrylamide gel when the pH (6.0 and 6.8) was near the reported pKa of 6.56. There was no clear interaction for the sorption of sulfentrazone at 1.0 mg kg−1 to Congaree loamy sand or Decatur silty clay loam saturated with either calcium or potassium. Sulfentrazone behavior with the polyacrylamide electrophoresis gels and ion resins indicate the potential for this herbicide to occur as a polar or Zwitter ion. Sulfentrazone was adsorbed by potassium, calcium, and sodium saturated resins and subsequently desorbed using variable pH solutions. The level of sulfentrazone adsorption will vary among soil types and the amount of desorption into solution may be soil cation-dependent.

Greenhouse studies were conducted to determine the response of purple and yellow nutsedge to selective placement of 5 cm of soil treated with AC 263,222 above and/or below nutsedge tubers. AC 263,222 applied early POST (EPOST) or POST at 71 g ai ha-1as a foliar, soil, or foliar + soil application also was evaluated. AC 263,222 applied below nutsedge tubers did not reduce purple or yellow nutsedge shoot number, shoot dry weight, shoot regrowth dry weight, or root-tuber dry weight. However, when it was applied above purple nutsedge tubers, shoot dry weight was reduced; and when it was applied above yellow nutsedge tubers, shoot dry weight and root dry weight were reduced. AC 263,222 applied 5 cm above + 5 cm below purple nutsedge tubers reduced shoot number, shoot dry weight, shoot regrowth dry weight, and root dry weight to 9, 4, 10, and 16% of the control, respectively, in purple nutsedge and to 23, 16, 9, and 15% of the control, respectively, in yellow nutsedge. AC 263,222 applied EPOST or POST reduced shoot dry weight, shoot regrowth dry weight, and root dry weight of purple nutsedge to less than or equal to 11, 7, and 27% of the control, respectively, and to less than or equal to 10, 16, and 29% of the control, respectively, for yellow nutsedge with no differences between application methods. The foliar and soil activity of AC 263,222 for purple and yellow nutsedge control provides an advantage over currently registered peanut herbicides.

Laboratory studies were conducted to evaluate variation in germination response of eight annual bluegrass ecotypes (‘Augusta 4’, ‘Augusta 8’, ‘Augusta 14’, ‘Augusta 17’, ‘Auburn’, ‘Birmingham’, ‘Columbia’, and ‘Purchased’) to photoperiod, temperature, and fenarimol, a fungicide–herbicide used for preemergence annual bluegrass. Seed collected from greenhouse-grown plants and stored for > 2 mo were evaluated under 18 environments (three day and night temperatures by six day and night durations). There was a significant ecotype by environment interaction affecting annual bluegrass germination. High temperature markedly restricted germination, with only the Birmingham ecotype exceeding 20% germination at day and night temperatures of 39 and 29 C, respectively. Maximum germination of all ecotypes was observed at a day and night temperature of 19 and 10 C, respectively. Maximum germination for a specific photoperiod was not consistent across ecotypes; however, all ecotypes germinated to some degree in complete darkness, which indicates that maintaining a dense turf canopy to eliminate annual bluegrass germination may not be completely effective. Ecotypes did not differ with respect to root length response to fenarimol but did vary with respect to shoot length response. Purchased and Columbia shoot growth were the most tolerant to increasing fenarimol concentrations. This information will be used to develop improved management strategies for annual bluegrass.