Glyphosate efficacy on eastern Canadian forest weeds. Part II: deposit–response relationships and crop tolerance

Abstract

First-season herbicide efficacy and crop tolerance results are presented for a range of glyphosate (VISION®) rates (0–1.00 kg acid equivalent per hectare) aerially applied with two different dispersal systems (AU5000 Micronairs® and conventional hydraulic nozzles). Derivative-free nonlinear regression was used to model post-treatment raspberry cover (Rubusidaeus L. var. strigosus (Michx.) Maxim.) as an exponentially decreasing function of chemical deposit (R2 = 0.87). Similar methods were used to model post-treatment crown area as a function of chemical deposit and pretreatment crown area for pin cherry (Prunuspensylvanica L.f.) (R2 = 0.92), red maple (Acerrubrum L.) (R2 = 0.79), white birch (Betulapapyrifera Marsh.) (R2 = 0.93), elderberry (Sambucuspubens Michx.) (R2 = 0.85), and aspen (Populustremuloides Michx.) (R2 = 0.96). Acceptable first-season control (>60% cover reduction) of raspberry, pin cherry, elderberry, and aspen was achieved with rates of deposit ≥0.50 kg acid equivalent per hectare. Red maple and white birch crown area reduction averaged 60% at the highest rate tested (1 kg acid equivalent per hectare). Significant differences in efficacy attributable to the different dispersal systems were found only for pin cherry: the Micronair system resulted in 30% greater efficacy on one of the four blocks tested (P < 0.0001). On this particular block, characterized by unstable weather conditions during treatment, both systems produced significantly greater efficacy than observed on the other blocks for all species studied except aspen (P < 0.01). No significant differences were detected in black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) health patterns in areas treated with the two different application systems (P = 0.780). Crop trees in untreated areas declined in health relative to trees in treated areas (P < 0.001).