Weeds can cause significant yield loss in watermelon production systems. Commercially acceptable weed control is difficult to achieve, even with heavy reliance on herbicides. A study was conducted to evaluate a spring-seeded cereal rye cover crop with different herbicide application timings for weed management between row middles in watermelon production systems. Common lambsquarters and pigweed species (namely, Palmer amaranth and smooth pigweed) densities and biomasses were often lower with cereal rye compared with no cereal rye, regardless of herbicide treatment. The presence of cereal rye did not negatively influence the number of marketable watermelon fruit, but average marketable fruit weight in cereal rye versus no cereal rye treatments varied by location. These results demonstrate that a spring-seeded cereal rye cover crop can help reduce weed density and weed biomass, and potentially enhance overall weed control. Cereal rye alone did not provide full-season weed control, so additional research is needed to determine the best methods to integrate spring cover cropping with other weed management tactics in watermelon for effective, full-season control.

Resistance to protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO) inhibitors was first observed in waterhemp in 2001 and was conferred by the deletion of a glycine residue at the 210th position (ΔGly-210) of the PPO enzyme. PPO-inhibitor resistance in Palmer amaranth was first observed in 2011, 10 years later. The objectives of this study were to directly compare PPO inhibitor responses in plants of both species with or without the ΔGly-210 mutation. Using greenhouse experiments, early (EPOST) and late (LPOST) postemergence dose responses using lactofen and fomesafen, and preemergence (PRE) dose responses using fomesafen and flumioxazin, were obtained for a sensitive and resistant population each of waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. An additional spray study confirmed each sensitive population used in the dose responses was representative of its respective species, with regards to PPO-inhibitor sensitivity. When treated at either POST timing, Palmer amaranth was more tolerant than waterhemp, and the ΔGly-210 mutation provided greater resistance in Palmer amaranth (48-fold to >3,440-fold, depending on timing and herbicide) than in waterhemp (31-fold to 123-fold). The level of tolerance in Palmer amaranth was striking; the sensitive Palmer amaranth population treated LPOST survived as well or better than the resistant waterhemp population treated EPOST. With PRE applications, response differences both between species and between resistant and sensitive populations generally were less pronounced, relative to POST applications. Collectively, this research indicates Palmer amaranth tolerance to POST-applied PPO inhibitors could have initially slowed (relative to waterhemp) evolution of resistance to these herbicides, and resistant and sensitive populations of both species are more likely to be effectively controlled with PRE rather than POST applications.

Herbicide carrier water hardness and pH can be variable depending on the source and geographic location. Herbicide efficacy can be affected by the pH and hardness of water used for spray solution. Field and greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate the effect of carrier water pH and hardness on premixed dicamba and glyphosate efficacy. Treatments were combinations of water pH at 4, 6.5, or 9; and water hardness at 0 (deionized water), 400, or 800 mg L−1 of CaCO3 equivalent. In the field study, dicamba and glyphosate were applied at 0.55 and 1.11 kg ae ha−1, respectively, and half of these rates were applied in the greenhouse study. There was no interaction between carrier water pH and hardness on dicamba and glyphosate efficacy; however, the main effects of carrier water pH and hardness were significant. Herbicide efficacy was reduced with carrier water at pH 9 compared with pH 4. In the field study, common lambsquarters, common ragweed, horseweed, or Palmer amaranth control was improved 6% or more at carrier water at pH 4 compared with pH 9. Similar results were observed with water pH for giant ragweed, Palmer amaranth, or pitted morningglory control in the greenhouse study. Carrier water hardness at 400 or 800 mg L−1 reduced common ragweed, giant ragweed, or horseweed control compared with 0 mg L−1. Similarly, common lambsquarters, Palmer amaranth, or pitted morningglory control was reduced at least 10% with carrier water hardness at 800 mg L−1 compared with 0 mg L−1. These results indicate carrier water at acidic pH and of no hardness is critical for dicamba and glyphosate application, and spray solution needs to be amended appropriately for an optimum efficacy.