Control of Field Dodder (Cuscuta campestris) Parasitizing Tomato with ALS-Inhibiting Herbicides

• Published in: Weed technology 2012-10, Vol.26 (4), p.740-746
• Main Authors: Goldwasser, Yaakov, Sazo, Mario R. Miranda, Lanini, W. Thomas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Binding sites; Crop damage; Crops; Cuscuta campestris; Experiments; Farm buildings; field crops; Field experiments; Fruits; Greenhouses; halosulfuron; Herbicides; Leaves; Metabolites; ornamental plants; Parasite hosts; Parasites; Parasitic plants; Parasitism; Plant growth; Plants; processing tomato; rimsulfuron; Seeds; Solanum lycopersicum var. lycopersicum; stems; Tomatoes; varieties; Weed control; WEED MANAGEMENT — OTHER CROPS/AREAS; weeds
• ISSN: 0890-037X; 1550-2740
• DOI: 10.1614/WT-D-11-00173.1

Field dodder is a parasitic plant that attaches to the stems and leaves of broadleaf plants, including weeds, field crops, vegetables, and ornamentals, throughout most agricultural regions of the world. Effective field dodder control is extremely difficult to achieve, due to the nature of attachment and close association between host and parasite, which requires a highly effective and selective herbicide to destroy the parasite without crop damage. Previous studies have demonstrated the tolerance of certain tomato varieties to dodder parasitism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ability of sulfonylurea herbicides to control field dodder under greenhouse and field conditions. Two greenhouse studies and three field studies were conducted to evaluate the efficiency and crop selectivity of the sulfonylurea herbicides sulfosulfuron, rimsulfuron, halosulfuron, and flazasulfuron in controlling field dodder parasitizing tomato plants. Sulfosulfuron at 50 or 100 g ai ha−1 was effective and safe for tomato in field dodder control, while the other herbicides exhibited little or no dodder control. Nomenclature: Flazasulfuron; halosulfuron; rimsulfuron; sulfosulfuron; field dodder, Cuscuta campestris Yuncker; tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum L. Cuscuta campestris es una planta parasítica que se adhiere a los tallos y las hojas de plantas de hoja ancha, incluyendo malezas, cultivos extensivos, vegetales y ornamentales enla mayoría de las regiones agrícolas del mundo. El control efectivo de C. campestris es extremadamente difícil de alcanzar debido a la naturaleza de adherencia y asociación cercana entre el hospedero y el parásito, lo que requiere un herbicida selectivo altamente efectivo para destruir el parásito sin dañar al cultivo. Estudios previos han demostrado la tolerancia de ciertas variedades de tomate al parasitismo del C. campestris. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la habilidad de herbicidas sulfonylureas para controlar C. campestris bajo condiciones de invernadero y de campo. Dos estudios de invernadero y tres estudios de campo se realizaron para evaluar la eficiencia y selectividad en el cultivo de los herbicidas sulfonylurea: sulfosulfuron, rimsulfuron, halosulfuron y flazasulfuron en el control de C. campestris parasitando plantas de tomate. Sulfosulfuron a 50 ó 100 g ia ha−1 fue efectivo y seguro al tomate para el control de C. campestris, mientras que los otros herbicidas mostraron poco o ningún control de esta maleza.