Peanut Tolerance to Pyroxasulfone

ABSTRACT Due to limited hectares and production in comparison to field corn, soybean, and wheat, commercial research and development efforts by major manufacturers for potential new peanut herbicides are minimal. Therefore, new herbicides developed for large hectare crops should be evaluated for potential use in peanut. Field trials were conducted in Ty Ty and Plains Georgia in 2007 and 2008 to evaluate the tolerance of peanut to PRE and POST applications of pyroxasulfone at five rates (0, 120, 240, 360, and 480 g ai/ha). Pyroxasulfone did not cause significant peanut injury at the Ty Ty location. In Plains, PRE applications of pyroxasulfone caused significant crop stunting, particularly at the 360 and 480 g/ha rates. In Ty Ty, PRE applications of pyroxasulfone also resulted in greater expression of tomato spotted wilt virus than POST applications. Peanut yields were not reduced by any rate or timing of pyroxasulfone. These results suggest that pyroxasulfone may have some potential to be utilized in peanut.