Isoxaben is a preemergence herbicide used for broadleaf weed control in turf and ornamentals. Although isoxaben can be used on a number of ornamentals, certain species are injured by isoxaben applications. The objectives of this research were: a) to evaluate the tolerance of ajuga, wintercreeper and dwarf burning bush to isoxaben applications, b) to compare the absorption, translocation and metabolism of isoxaben following root and shoot application in these ornamentals, and c) to examine the effect of isoxaben on glucose incorporation in the roots of these species. Greenhouse and lathhouse studies demonstrated that ajuga was the most sensitive species compared to wintercreeper and dwarf burning bush following root and shoot exposure to isoxaben at 0.84, 1.69 and 3.39 kg ai/ha. Following root and shoot application, isoxaben at 3.39 kg/ha caused approximately 50% shoot injury in ajuga at 2 months after treatment compared to approximately 30% in dwarf burning bush in sand culture. Wintercreeper was not visually injured by any isoxaben rate. Isoxaben at 3.39 kg/ha reduced wintercreeper root weight by 15% following root application and shoot weight by 10% following shoot application. Field studies showed that isoxaben applications made one month after bud-break caused 30 to 45% injury to dwarf burning bush. However, the plants outgrew the injury in the following year. Dwarf burning bush was not injured from applications of isoxaben made at the dormant stage or two months after the bud-break stage. Studies with root-applied radiolabeled isoxaben showed that ajuga and dwarf burning bush had absorbed 34 and 41% of the applied radioactivity, respectively, while wintercreeper had absorbed only 21% at 14 days after treatment (DAT). The percent of absorbed radioactivity which translocated was greater in ajuga (58%) and wintercreeper (50%) than in dwarf burning bush (28%). In the root extracts, metabolism of isoxaben was greater in ajuga than wintercreeper or dwarf burning bush at 3, 7 and 14 DAT. Most of the radioactivity recovered from the shoots of the three species appeared to be polar metabolites of isoxaben, possibly conjugates. In studies with shoot-applied radiolabeled isoxaben, radioactivity recovered from the treated leaf of ajuga increased from 46% of applied at 3 days to 64% at 14 days after treatment. In wintercreeper, the most tolerant species, approximately 40% of the applied radioactivity was recovered in the treated leaf at each harvest date. Radioactivity recovered from the treated leaflet increased from 45 at 3 DAT to 70% at 14 DAT in both growth stages of dwarf burning bush. Ajuga and wintercreeper metabolized isoxaben faster than dwarf burning bush. There was no difference in the metabolism of isoxaben between the two growth stages of dwarf burning bush. Incorporation of glucose in the roots of wintercreeper and dwarf burning bush was not inhibited by isoxaben (1 mM). Approximately 10% inhibition of glucose incorporation by isoxaben was observed in the roots of the sensitive species ajuga. / Ph. D.

Small burnet (Sanguisorba minor scop.) Is a hardy, relatively long lived evergreen forb native to Eurasia that has potential to improve grazinglands and extend grazing into late fall and winter. Trials evaluating small burnet tolerance to spring and fall postemergence herbicide applications were conducted at the Utah State University Evans farm in Millville, UT. Two small burnet genotypes were grown in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement. Twelve treatments, clethodim, clopyralid, imazamox, 2,4DB, metribuzin, aminopyralid, pendimethalin, dimethenamid-P, bromoxynil, dicamba, quinclorac, and an untreated were applied at moderate field use rates either spring or fall of the establishment year. Plots were rated for visual injury on a 0 to 100 scale where 0 = no injury and 100 = complete mortality. Ratings were done 7, 14, 60 days after treatment (DAT) and the spring following treatment. Seed yield, seed viability, and dry matter yield (DMY) were determined. Fall treatments of aminopyralid reduced seed yield 65%, seed germination 43%, and DMY 67%. Fall applied imazamox treatments reduced DMY by 36%, and seed yield by 33%, but did not impact germination. Visual injury was greatest from spring and fall applied aminopyralid treatments with ratings of 24% and 79%. Spring applied treatments did not impact seed yield or seed germination. Results suggest that clethodim, metribuzin, quinclorac, clopyralid, dimethenamid-P, bromoxynil, and pendimethalin cause little or no injury to small burnet.

S-metolachlor is an effective herbicide used to control/suppress annual grasses, nutsedges and several broadleaf weeds in sweetpotato. However, a decline in storage root quality and yield has been reported under certain environmental conditions. Information is limited on the effect of S-metolachlor application followed immediately by rainfall on sweetpotato growth and development under different temperatures, as well as the optimum application time. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate sweetpotato responses to interactive effects of S-metolachlor, temperature and rainfall, and to determine S-metolachlor optimum application time. A sunlit, controlled environment experiment was conducted to investigate sweetpotato response to S-metolachlor and rainfall immediately after application under different temperatures. Sweetpotato slips were transplanted into sandy soil filled pots. Treatment combinations included five levels of S-metolachlor, 0.00, 0.86, 1.72, 2.58 and 3.44 kg ha-1, two levels of rainfall, 0 and 38 mm and three temperatures, 25/17, 30/22 and 35/27 °C, day/night. After POST application of S-metolachlor and rainfall, all plants were transferred to sunlit growth chambers that were maintained at their respective temperatures and ambient CO2 concentration for 60 days. In another experiment, S-metolachlor application time was varied to investigate sweetpotato growth and development. Two levels of S-metolachlor 0.0 and 1.0 kg ha-1 and three application times 0, 5 and 10 days after transplanting (DAT) were used and plants were harvested five times, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 80 DAT to estimate plant growth and development. Shoot, root and total plant biomass yields declined with increasing concentration of S-metolachlor across temperatures. In addition, storage root yield and quality decline was S-metolachlor rate dependent and aggravated by rainfall immediately after herbicide treatment across temperatures. S-metolachlor was more injurious on most plant component parameters in the optimum and high temperatures where plant growth was vigorous than in the low temperatures. S-metolachlor application at 0 and 5 days affected sweetpotato growth, including storage roots, but delaying until 10 days minimized the injury. These results can be used to weigh the risk of crop injury against the weed control benefits of S-metolachlor when making management decisions, and to determine application time based on weather information.