Alternative Herbicides for Control of Glyphosate-Resistant Giant Ragweed in Nebraska | Knezevic | Sustainable Agriculture Research | CCSE

Giant ragweed is an early emerging and one of the most competitive summer annual species found in many fields throughout North America. Extensive use of glyphosate in glyphosate-tolerant (GT) crops has evolved giant ragweed populations with glyphosate resistance. Field dose-response studies were conducted to determine the influence of growth stage on the level of glyphosate resistance in a suspected giant ragweed population. In addition, efficacy of alternative pre-plant, pre-emergence (PRE) and post-emergence (POST) herbicides were evaluated in corn and soybeans for glyphosate-resistant (GR) giant ragweed control. The field glyphosate dose-response studies confirmed that the suspected giant ragweed population were resistant ranging from 14- to 32-fold resistance depending on the growth stage of glyphosate application. The 10, 20 and 30 cm tall giant ragweed had 14, 17 and 32X resistance level, respectively. The dose-response studies indicated that the 10, 20, and 30 cm tall GR giant ragweed was controlled 90% with 214, 402 and 482 g ae ha-1 of dicamba, respectively, when tank-mixed with glyphosate (1060 g ae ha-1) 21 days after treatment (DAT). All evaluated pre-plant herbicides for corn provided ≥ 90% control of the GR giant ragweed at 30 DAT; among which the best control (100%) was achieved with pre-plant application of atrazine (2240 g ai ha-1), isoxaflutole (90 g ai ha-1), and premix of flumioxazin/pyroxasulfone (315 g ai ha-1). Herbicide combinations of different site of action provided greater than 90% control of the GR giant ragweed population in a PRE followed by POST herbicide program in corn and soybean, suggesting that alternative herbicide for giant ragweed control are available.