Soil-applied herbicide use in wide- and narrow-row glyphosate-resistant soybean (Glycine max)

A field study was conducted in 2001 and 2002 at Blackville, SC, to compare the effectiveness of soil-applied herbicide programmes followed by glyphosate with sequential glyphosate applications in 19- and 97-cm row soybean. Treatments included pre-emergence applications of flumetsulam, chlorimuron plus sulfentrazone, metribuzin, or flumioxazin all applied with S-metolachlor with a subsequent application of glyphosate applied 5 wk after soybean planting (WAP). Additional treatments included sequential applications of glyphosate at 3 and 5 WAP and a non-treated control. Weed control was comparable in wide and narrow rows, and soil-applied herbicides were similar to sequential glyphosate applications in either row width. Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., and Cyperus rotundus L. control with all herbicides was 98–100%. All herbicide programmes provided at least 92% Ipomoea hederacea var. integriuscula Gray and I. lacunosa L. control. S-metolachlor plus flumetsulam followed by glyphosate provided 99% Senna obtusifolia (L.) Irwin and Barneby control, which was superior to the 88% and 90% obtained with chlorimuron plus sulfentrazone and metribuzin programmes, respectively. Flumioxazin and sulfentrazone caused up to 12% soybean injury. In 2001, soybean yields and gross profit margins were similar for soil-applied programmes followed by glyphosate and sequential glyphosate applications in wide and narrow rows. Conversely, soybean yields and profit margins in 2002 averaged across soil-applied programs were 380 kg/ha and $50/ha superior to sequential glyphosate applications in wide rows, but were similar in narrow rows. This research indicates a highly efficacious soil-applied herbicide program followed by glyphosate provides similar weed control to sequential glyphosate applications in wide- and narrow-row soybean; however, a soil-applied herbicide programme followed by glyphosate may improve yields and returns of wide-row soybean over sequential glyphosate applications alone.