Field experiments were conducted in 1998, 1999, and 2000 at two locations (Harrow and Ridgetown) in southwestern Ontario to determine the biologically effective rates (I90) of a commercial formulation of flufenacet plus metribuzin for weed control and processing tomato tolerance. At the proposed label use rate, flufenacet plus metribuzin provided excellent (≥90%) early-season (22 to 29 d after planting) control of velvetleaf, good (80 to 89%) control of barnyardgrass and redroot pigweed, and fair (60 to 79%) control of common lambsquarters. Flufenacet plus metribuzin provided fair late-season (59 to 97 d after planting) control of redroot pigweed and common lambsquarters and poor (≤59%) control of barnyardgrass and velvetleaf. At Harrow and Ridgetown, I90 values for early-season weed control ranged from 70 to 1,300 g ai/ha and 50 to 1,900 g ai/ha, respectively. Flufenacet plus metribuzin provided poor weed control at Ridgetown. This result was not attributable to higher weed density or particular weed species but may have been caused by lack of rainfall and too low application rates for the medium-textured soil type. It is estimated that flufenacet plus metribuzin at 1,400 g/ha can control green foxtail season-long, whereas barnyardgrass and common lambsquarters would require 1,900 g/ha. Season-long control of velvetleaf and redroot pigweed would require application rates of 3,200 and 7,100 g/ha, respectively. Only slight early-season crop injury was observed, which was not reflected in yields. Optimum yields of tomatoes were obtained at Harrow at rates lower or slightly higher than the registered rates for corn and soybean. Tomato yields were higher at Harrow than at Ridgetown, which may have been due to differences in soil texture. Tomatoes grown in a medium-textured (Ridgetown) soil appeared to be less competitive against weeds than those grown in a coarse-textured soil (Harrow).
Nomenclature: Flufenacet; metribuzin; barnyardgrass, Echinochloa crusgalli (L.) P. Beauv. #3 ECHCG; common lambsquarters, Chenopodium album L. # CHEAL; green foxtail, Setaria viridis (L.) P. Beauv. # SETVI; redroot pigweed, Amaranthus retroflexus L. # AMARE; velvetleaf, Abutilon theophrasti Medik # ABUTH; corn, Zea mays L.; soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.; tomato, Lycospersicon esculentum Mill. ‘Heinz 9478’.
Additional index words: Crop injury, preplant incorporated, specific herbicide rate, weed density.
Abbreviations: IWM, integrated weed management.
