Sensitivity of Leguminous Crops to Saflufenacil

Abstract

There is little information on the tolerance of leguminous crops to saflufenacil. A field study was conducted three times over a 2-yr period (2006, 2007) in Ontario, Canada, to determine the tolerance of adzuki bean, cranberry bean, lima bean, processing pea, snap bean, soybean, and white (navy) bean to saflufenacil applied PRE at 100 and 200 g ai/ha. Saflufenacil caused 51 to 99% injury, reduced height 25 to 93%, reduced shoot dry weight 92 to 99%, and reduced seed yield 56 to 99% in adzuki bean, cranberry bean, lima bean, snap bean, and white bean. Injury was lower in soybean and processing pea. Saflufenacil caused 1 to 25% injury, reduced height 3 to 13%, reduced shoot dry weight 5 to 30%, and reduced seed yield 0 to 4% in soybean and processing pea. Cranberry bean, snap bean, white bean, and lima bean were the most sensitive crops to saflufenacil followed by adzuki bean. Soybean and processing pea were the most tolerant to saflufenacil. Based on these results, saflufenacil applied PRE can be safely used in specific cultivars of pea and soybean at the proposed rate of 100 g/ha. However, there is not an acceptable margin of crop safety for saflufenacil PRE at 100 or 200 g/ha in adzuki, cranberry, lima, snap, and white bean.