Integration of Glyphosate and Quizalofop with Tillage for Quackgrass (Elytrigia repens) Management in Continuous Annual Crop and Legume Plowdown Rotations

Abstract

A field study was conducted from 1987 to 1992 to determine the effectiveness of several treatments consisting of combinations of glyphosate and/or quizalofop with tillage to control quackgrass in legume plowdown and continuous annual crop rotations. The treatments were imposed on the quackgrass in 1987 and/or 1988, evaluated in 1989 (cycle 1), reimposed on the same plots in 1990 and/or 1991 and re-evaluated in 1992 (cycle 2). Where continuous barley was grown, glyphosate applied at 0.45 kg/ha before seeding in 1987 (cycle 1) and 1990 (cycle 2), and combined with fall tillage in the first two years of each cycle, reduced quackgrass shoot density and rhizome dry weight by more than 96%. In a legume plowdown rotation, consisting of barley underseeded to red clover followed by plowdown and barley in subsequent years, quackgrass was reduced by a similar amount by glyphosate at 0.45 kg/ha applied in 1987 and 1990 before seeding or in 1988 and 1991 at 5 d before or 6 wk after red clover plowdown. Quackgrass reduction from all of these treatments was as effective as the labelled rate of glyphosate (0.90 kg/ha) applied at the same times, and also as effective as glyphosate applied at 0.45 kg/ha in combination with tillage in a year of fallow. Without fall tillage the efficacy of glyphosate applied before seeding was reduced. Quizalofop at 0.20 kg/ha applied to canola in a rotation of canola followed by two years of barley, reduced quackgrass, but was less effective than glyphosate treatments with fall tillage. Reducing quackgrass populations resulted in significant increases in crop yields.