Weed control in glyphosate-tolerant sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L.)

The effect of glyphosate on weeds was evaluated in greenhouse bioassays with five weed species and compared with a commercial mixture of phenmedipham and ethofumesate. Glyphosate was more active than a mixture of phenmedipham and ethofumesate on the weeds. Solanum nigrum was the most sensitive species to both herbicide treatments. The relative potency of glyphosate between the weeds showed consistency at 50% and 90% control levels for four out of five weed species, which could be ranked independently of control level because of similar response curves. In a field trial on sugarbeet genetically engineered to acquire glyphosate tolerance, a total of 720 g a.i. ha^?1 of glyphosate applied in one, two or three applications gave similar or superior control of weeds to a total of 3.17 kg a.i. ha^?1 mixture of metamitron, phenmedipham and ethofumesate applied in three repeated applications.