Herbicidal Efficacy of Cyhalofop/Bentazon and Pyribenzoxim as Affected by Application Time in Dry-Seeded Rice

Cyhalofop/bentazon ME and pyribenzoxim EC herbicides were originally developed as foliarapplied herbicides to control weeds at 4-5 leaf stages of barnyard grass 20-25 days after seeding (DAS) in direct-seeding culture but further possible utilization of these two herbicides earlier than 3-4 leaf stages of rice were evaluated for a field where early weed infestations might be severe. The application of cyhalofop/bentazon ME and pyribenzoxim EC at right after rice emergence and the 2-3 leaf stages of rice had an excellent weed control efficacy with above 90% up to 30 DAS without a phytotoxicity of rice plant and the control efficacy of over 80% was maintained until 60 DAS. However, these two herbicides controlled Echinochloa crus-galli very effectively above 97% but Aneilema keisak and Aeschynomene indica were not controlled by cyhalofop/bentazon ME and Cyperus serotinus by pyribenzoxim EC. Therefore, to control those problem weeds, second systematic application of pyribenzoxim EC and pyrazosulfuron/mefenacet G for A. keisak and A. indica, and pyrazosulfuron/molinate G, cyhalofap/ azimsulfuron/molinate G, pyrazosulfuron/mefenacet G and bentazon SL for C. serotinus at 30 DAS was found to be very efficient herbicide systems.