Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 January 2017
Difficulties in chemically controlling large crabgrass in corn in SouthAfrica have recently been attributed to the occurrence of naked crabgrass.In contrast to large crabgrass, naked crabgrass is not easily controlledwith acetanilide herbicides. Critical periods of weed control (CPWC) fornaked crabgrass in corn was determined in field studies during the 2009/2010and 2010/2011 growing seasons at two separate localities for an early andlate planting date of corn. Weed-free and weed–crop interference treatmentsof increasing duration were maintained at various crop growth stages in thepresence of naked crabgrass. Biomass of naked crabgrass was determined asdry weight per square meter quadrant, which yielded 428 g m−2 atPotchefstroom and 594 g m−2 at Wesselsbron. An exponentialregression model was used to determine the CPWC expressed as growing degreedays after crop emergence, on the basis of an estimated 10% relative yieldloss in corn. The onset and ending, as well as the duration of the CPWC,differed between seasons and localities. At 10% relative yield loss, theonset of the CPWC ranged between the two-leaf (V2) and six-leaf (V6) stages,and the ending between the 12-leaf (V12) stage and 2 wk after tasseling (T +2). The duration of the CPWC ranged between 22 and 80 d for the respectiveplanting dates, years, and localities. Yield losses ranged from 28 to 82% inthe season-long weedy plots. The shifting of planting dates alone did notreduce yield losses since the effect of late infestations of naked crabgrassis significant. Naked crabgrass control from crop emergence is essential,followed by POST herbicide application during the critical period of weedcontrol to lower the risk of corn yield losses.