Soybean Sensitivity to Drift Rates of Imazosulfuron

Abstract

Imazosulfuron is a sulfonylurea herbicide recently labeled in U.S. rice at a maximum rate of 336 g ai ha−1. Soybean is prone to drift of herbicides from rice fields in the southern United States because these crops are often grown in close proximity. Field trials were conducted to determine the effect of low rates of imazosulfuron applied to nonsulfonylurea-resistant soybean at different growth stages. Soybean was treated at the vegetative cotyledonary (VC); vegetative second trifoliate (V2); vegetative sixth trifoliate (V6); and reproductive full bloom (R2) growth stages with 1/256 (1.3 g ha−1) to 1/4 (84.1 g ha−1) times (X) the maximum labeled rate of imazosulfuron. Soybean was injured regardless of application rate or timing. At 2 wk after treatment (WAT), imazosulfuron injured soybean 23 to 79, 44 to 76, 32 to 68, and 14 to 50% when applied at the VC, V2, V6, and R2 growth stages, respectively, where the highest injury was caused by the highest imazosulfuron rate (1/4X). However, by 20 wk after planting (WAP), soybean treated with imazosulfuron at the VC and V2 growth stages had only 0 to 17% and 8 to 53% injury, respectively. At higher rates [1/8 (42 g ha−1) and 1/4X] of imazosulfuron, soybean treated at the VC growth stage recovered more from injury than did soybean treated at the V2 growth stage. Soybean treated with imazosulfuron at the V6 and R2 growth stages had better recovery from the injury at the lower two rates [1/256 and 1/128X (2.6 g ha−1)] than at the higher rates [1/64 (5.3 g ha−1) to 1/4X]. Imazosulfuron, at all rates tested, delayed soybean maturity by 1 to 4, 2 to 6, 1 to 12, and 3 to 16 d for the VC, V2, V6, and R2 growth stages, respectively. Yield loss was greater when imazosulfuron was applied at V6 and R2 compared to applications at VC and V2. Results from this research indicate that imazosulfuron can severely injure soybean regardless of the growth stage at which drift occurs; however, soybean injured by imazosulfuron at early growth stages (VC and V2) has a better chance of recovery over time compared to drift at later growth stages (V6 and R2).