Km. Novosel et al., SUGAR-BEET (BETA-VULGARIS) RESPONSE TO AND SORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF NICOSULFURON AND PRIMISULFURON, Weed technology, 9(3), 1995, pp. 484-489
Nicosulfuron and primisulfuron are sulfonylurea herbicides that may pe
rsist in the soil and injure sensitive rotational crops such as sugarb
eet. Studies were initiated to measure sugarbeet response one and two
years after application of 70 and 140 g/ha of nicosulfuron and 40 and
80 g/ha of primisulfuron to corn. Nicosulfuron did not injure sugarbee
t one or two years after application. In contrast, sugarbeet yield was
reduced one year after application of 40 and 80 g/ha of primisulfuron
. Injury was visible two years after application of 80 g/ha primisulfu
ron but this did not cause a yield reduction. In greenhouse studies, t
he concentration of nicosulfuron and primisulfuron that reduced sugarb
eet growth by 50% were determined for six soils. Primisulfuron reduced
sugarbeet growth more than nicosulfuron on four of six soils indicati
ng greater potential for sugarbeet injury from primisulfuron. Sugarbee
t response was highly correlated with soil organic matter content (R(2
) = 0.88). The sorption coefficients, K-d values, for nicosulfuron wer
e 0.30 to 2.58 and the K-d values for primisulfuron were 0.76 to 3.47.
Primisulfuron K-d values were higher than those of nicosulfuron on fo
ur of five soils indicating stronger affinity of primisulfuron for soi
l sorptive sites. The K-d values for both herbicides indicate low over
all sorption. The greater sugarbeet injury observed in the field from
primisulfuron is not due to greater availability of primisulfuron comp
ared to nicosulfuron.