Table of Contents

Table 2.5-4. Relative effectiveness of small grain herbicides.

Weed control rating

Crop tolerance

Weed Aim Axial 2,4-D Bronate Buctril Clarity/
Banvel		 Har-
mony
Extra
SG		 Har-
mony
SG		 Hoelon MCPA Osprey (fall) Peak Stinger
Winter Annuals
Bluegrass, annual4 N N N N N N N N N N 9 N N
Brome, downy² N N N N N N N N N N 8 N N
Buckwheat, wild 6 N 6 9 9 8+ 8 8 N 8 N 8 9
Catchweed bedstraw 8 N 7 8 N N N N N N N N N
Chickweed, common N N 6 6 6 7 9 7 N 6 7 7 N
Groundsel, common N N 6 9 9 7 9 9 N 6 N N 9
Henbit / red dead nettle 6 N 6 8 8 7 9 7 N 6 7 6 N
Horseweed (marestail) N N 8+ 8+ 7 8 7 N N 8+ N 8 9+
Lettuce, wild 6 N 9 9 6 8 8 7 N 9 N 8+ 9
Mustard spp. 6 N 9 9 9 7 9 9 N 9 8 9 N
Pennycress, field 8 N 9 9 8 7 9 9 N 9 N 9 N
Ryegrass, annual¹ N 9³ N N N N N N 9³ N 9 N N
Shepherdspurse 6 N 9 8+ 8 8 9 9 N 8+ N 8 N
Speedwell, spp.5 N N 6 6 N 6 N N N 6 N N N
Summer Annuals
Lambsquarters, common 9 N 9 9 9 9 9 9 N 9 N 7 6
Pigweed spp. 9 N 9 9 7 9 9 9 N 9 7 8+ 6
Ragweed, common N N 9 9 8+ 9 6 N N 9 N 9 9+
Smartweed, Pennsylvania N N 6 9 9 9 9 9 N 7 N 6 7
Perennials
Cockle, white N N 7+ 6 6 9 ? ? N N N ? 8+
Dandelion N N 8+ 8 6 6 6 6 N 8 N 6 8+
Dock spp. N N 6+ 6+ 6 7 8+ 8 N 6+ N 8 9
Garlic or onion, wild N N 7 6 N 6 9 9 N 6 N 9 N
Smooth bedstraw 6 N 6 7 N N N N N N N N N
Thistle, Canada N N 7 7 6 7 7 N N 7 N 6+ 9
Crop Tolerance 1+ N 2+ 2 1+ 2 1+ 1+ 2 2 2 1+ 1+
  1. Annual ryegrass control is listed on Achieve, Finesse, Finesse Grass and Broadleaf, Everest, Maverick, Olympus Flex, and PowerFlex herbicide labels. However, research at Penn State and other mid-Atlantic universities has shown inconsistent results on ryegrass control. Achieve and Everest provide good control (9), but must be applied early, before the ryegrass reaches 1 inch tall; applications after this time provided poorer control. Everest may cause injury to wheat. If these products are used, be cautious of all use restrictions. After a Maverick application these rotational crops may be planted within a year: wheat—anytime; STS soybean and IR corn—3 months; soybean—5 months. Only STS soybeans can be planted 6 months following a Finesse application. Soybeans can be planted 9 months after Everest application. Do not plant corn within 24 months of Everest application.
  2. Downy brome control is listed on Finesse, Finesse Grass and Broadleaf, Maverick, Olympus Flex, and PowerFlex labels. (Refer to label to determine if chess or cheat species will be controlled.) In most cases, Finesse Grass and Broadleaf provides only suppression of downy brome when applied in the fall. (Control may be obtained depending on rate and timing.) Maverick and Olympus Flex provide control of downy brome when applied in the fall and suppression when applied in the spring. However, be cautious of crop rotation intervals when using these herbicides. Aside from STS soybeans and IR corn, most other rotational crops cannot be planted for at least 12 to 18 months or more after application depending on the herbicide used.
  3. Will not control Hoelon-resistant (Accase-inhibitor) annual ryegrass biotypes.
  4. Annual bluegrass control is listed on Osprey and Olympus Flex labels. Fall applications are best.
  5. There are several speedwell (Veronica) species, including corn, common, ivy leaf, and others. Depending on the species, their life cycle is either annual or perennial. Many of the commonly used small grain herbicides provide little or no control of speedwell. Finesse has a few annual and perennial speedwells listed on its label and usually provides 80–90 percent control of them. Be cautious of crop rotation intervals if using Finesse.