Effect of Wheat Herbicide Carryover on Double-Crop Cotton and Soybean

In the southeastern United States many farmers double-crop winter wheat with soybean or cotton. However, there is little information about residual injury of herbicides used in wheat to these rotational crops. Experiments were conducted from 2007 to 2008 and 2008 to 2009 in soft red winter wheat to evaluate response of rotational crops of soybean and cotton after application of various acetolactate synthase herbicides in wheat. Pyroxsulam, mesosulfuron, sulfosulfuron, propoxycarbazone, or chlorsulfuron plus metsulfuron at multiple rates were applied to wheat approximately 110 to 120 d before planting rotational crops. Soils were Tift loamy sand at Ty Ty, GA and Faceville sandy loam at Plains, GA. After wheat harvest, soybean (‘Pioneer 97M50’) and cotton (‘DP 0949 B2RF’) were strip-tillage planted and evaluated for injury, stand density, height over time, and yields. For both locations, wheat was tolerant to all herbicide treatments with little to no visible injury 7 to 90 d after application. Pyroxsulam injury was less than sulfosulfuron or mesosulfuron. At recommended use rates, wheat injury was transient with no effect on yield. Double-crop soybean for both locations had no differences in stand establishment for any herbicide treatments. There was significant carryover injury to soybean and cotton for sulfosulfuron applied to wheat for the Faceville sandy loam. There was no effect of herbicide treatment on cotton stand. There was little to no difference in residual activity on rotational crops between pyroxsulam and other wheat herbicides when labeled rates were applied. This is significant as pyroxsulam is used to control Italian ryegrass and wild radish in this region.