Integrating Irrigation, Tillage, and Herbicides for Weed Control in Dry Bean

Field trials were conducted from 2010 through 2012 to evaluate the integration of three factors: overhead irrigation after planting great northern dry bean; three methods of seedbed preparation: no-tillage, one or two diskings; and eight weed control treatments on dry bean development and weed control. The previous crop each year was corn. Overhead irrigation with 13 mm of water immediately after herbicide application and planting in early June did not improve or reduce herbicide efficacy but where herbicides were not utilized, irrigation increased weed emergence. Soil crusting increased in 2 of 3 yr when soil was disked at a 20-cm depth before planting. Crop injury from herbicides applied PRE increased when soil crusting occurred. No tillage before planting reduced crop injury from herbicides in 2010 and 2011 and weed density in 2012. Dry bean injury was minimal from herbicides applied PRE except for flumioxazin, which reduced crop density in 2011 and 2012. Imazamox plus bentazon applied POST caused early-season dry bean injury in 2 of 3 yr and resulted in a reduction in crop seed yield compared to dimethenamid-P or halosulfuron applied PRE. As producers move away from intensive tillage before planting to reduced tillage or notillage production systems, the results of this experiment show that dimethenamid-P, halosulfuron, pendimethalin, and S-metolachlor can be utilized PRE to provide acceptable weed control and crop selectivity. Although flumioxazin applied PRE reduced plant density, Great Northern dry bean yields were not affected by the loss of plant stand.