TEXT:

Applied Weed Science - M.A. Ross and C.A. Lembi 1985. Burgess Publishing Co.
Weeds of the West, Western Society of Weed Science (suggested, available through NMSU Cooperative Extension Service)

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES:

Weed Science: Principles and Practices, 3rd ed. F.M. Ashton and T.J. Monaco

Weed Science, Journal of the Weed Science Society of America

Weed Technology, Journal of the Weed Science of America

Weed ID Guide and CD ROM, Southern Weed Science Society

An Illustrated Guide to Arizona Weeds. K.F. Parker

Weeds and Poisonous Plants of Wyoming and Utah, T.D. Whitson ed.

Arizona Flora, T.H. Kearney and R.H. Peebles

Weed Control Manual and Herbicide Guide, 1996

COURSE DESCRIPTION

A study of weeds and weed management methods in agronomic and horticultural crops with an emphasis on integrated weed management. The course is divided into lecture and laboratory sections. The lecture portion of the course will count two-thirds (2/3) of your total grade and the laboratory will count one-third (1/3) of your total grade. The lecture portion of the class will include discussions of weed characteristics, weed competition and methods of weed management including weed control with herbicides. Herbicides will be discussed by family with regard to chemical structure, selectivity, mode of action, and dissipation. Three lecture examinations will be given during the semester plus an examination during finals week. Tentative exam dates are September 22, October 27, and November 24, 1997. The final will be a comprehensive exam (50% closed book and 50% open book) given on December 12, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The exams will be equally weighted. Make up exams will be given only with prior approval or doctors excuse. The laboratory will concentrate on practical aspects of weed control including weed identification, sprayer calibration, herbicide selectivity and injury symptoms, herbicide labels, and weed control recommendations. The laboratory schedule and outline of assignments are on a separate handout. Final grades for the course will be assigned based on performance in both the lecture and laboratory portions of the class. Final average of 90-100% = A, 80-89% = B, 70-79% = C, 60-69% = D, < 60% = F. For a discussion of student responsibilities please see the NMSU Student Handbook 1997-98.

Students enrolled for graduate credit (EPWS 511) are required to write a literature review on a topic of their choice in Weed Science. Each graduate student must discuss their topic with me prior to beginning their paper and before September 30, 1997. Research papers are due November 25, 1997. Papers should be no longer than 10 double spaced, typed pages and should thoroughly discuss the available literature on the chosen topic. Format should include an introduction, literature review, summary and references and should follow the directions to contributors for Weed Science (in Weed Science Volume 44. No. 4). The research paper will count 1/5 of the lecture grade (equivalent to the lecture exams). In addition, graduate student exams will be graded separately from undergraduate exams.

LECTURE OUTLINE - The subjects may not be discussed in this order.

I. Introduction

II. Characteristics of Weeds and Weed Growth

A. Classification of Weeds

B. Undesirable/desirable characteristics

C. Seed dispersal and longevity

D. Weed seed management

E. Weed interference

III. Weed Management Methods

A. Prevention

1. Sanitation

2. Noxious weed and seed laws.

B. Eradication

C. Economic /Integrated Management

1. Prevention

2. Mechanical Methods

a. Conservation tillage vs. conventional tillage

3. Crop competition and management

4. Biological Methods

a. Conservation

b. Augmentation

c. Introduction

5. Chemical Methods

IV. Herbicide Fate in the Environment

V. Herbicide Selectivity

A. Physical factors

1. Timing and placement

2. Environmental conditions

3. Formulation

B. Biological factors

1. Uptake

2. Translocation

3. Metabolism

4. Herbicide resistance

VI. Herbicide Mode of Action

A. Hormone

B. Classic Growth Inhibitors

C. Metabolic Growth Inhibitors

D. Photosynthesis Inhibitors

E. Contact (membrane disrupter)

F. Pigment Inhibitors

VII. Herbicide Families - (organization will be within modes of action listed above)

A. Inorganic

B. Organic - (help session on organic chemistry nomenclature).

Hormone: Phenoxy acids , Picolinic acids, Benzoic acids

Classic growth inhibitors: Dinitroanilines, Substituted amides, Thiocarbamates

Metabolic growth inhibitors: Selective grass herbicides (ACCase inhibitors), Aliphatic acids, Sulfonyl ureas Imidazolinones, other ALS inhibitors

Photosynthesis inhibitors: Triazines, substituted ureas, Uracils

Contact: Organic arsenicals, Bipyridylium, Nitriles, Diphenyl ethers, miscellaneous fumigants

VIII. Integrated Weed Management

A. Cropping systems

IX. Topics in Weed Science

Students with disabilities, If you have or think you may have a disability that interferes with your academic progress, you may contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 646-6840 (V) or 646-1918 (TTY) for an appointment. Services for Students with disabilities is located in Garcia Annex, Room 102. Current and appropriate documentation will be required in order to receive services.

If you have a condition which may affect your ability to exit safely from the premises in an emergency or which may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/ the director of the Disabled Student Programs. If you have general questions about the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), call the ADA Coordinator at 646-7795.

Place: GT 360

August 20
Introduction, Weed Collection, Weed I.D.

August 27
Weed I.D./Weed Characteristics

September 3
Weed I.D. - FARM

September 10
QUIZ I - Weed I.D. (fresh specimens)
Calibration - practice problems

September 17 FARM
Herbicide selectivity, calibration, apply preemergence treatments 24 Formulations and surfactants
Calibration - home work problems

October 1 FARM
Leaching experiments, Herbicide selectivity, apply postemergence, observe preemergence herbicides

October 8 CALIBRATION HOMEWORK DUE
Spray equipment, Herbicide Labels, MSDS

October 15 FARM
Observe leaching columns and herbicide treatments
ORAL CALIBRATION QUIZ

October 22 QUIZ II - (over material covered after Quiz I)

October 29
Laws/Regulation, Worker Safety & Protection; Sherry Sanderson, NMDA.

November 5
Weed Control Recommendations
WEED COLLECTIONS DUE

November 12
Weed Control Recommendations/Weed Science Issues Panel

November 19
Weed Control Recommendations, Review

December 3
FINAL QUIZ - Comprehensive over laboratory material

A weed collection is required for satisfactory completion of this course. Thirty species are required and are due on or before November 5, 1997. In the event that an unsatisfactory (too few specimens or poor quality) weed collection is turned in or no collection is turned in, the course will be graded as follows: 1) If the student has a earned passing grade in the class (D or better, in lecture plus lab averaging a 0 for the weed collection), the student will earn an I grade to be removed after a satisfactory collection is turned in. 2) If the student has earned a failing grade in the class (lecture plus lab), the student will earn an F for the course. Directions concerning the weed collection are given in a separate handout.

The laboratory portion of the course will count as one-third (1/3) of your total grade. Quizzes will cover material discussed and observed during laboratory sessions. No make-up quizzes will be given for Quiz 1 or the Oral Calibration Quiz. Make up quizzes for Quiz 2 or the final will be given only with prior approval or a doctors excuse.

Field Problem Solving (done over listserve) 	5% 

Calibration Problem Set 			5% 

Oral Calibration Quiz				5% 

Weed Control Recommendation Exercise		5% 

Weed Collection 				20% 

Quiz I (Weed ID) 				15% 

Quiz II 					20% 

Final Quiz 					25% 

The field problem solving exercises will be conducted using the class listserve and graded as part of the laboratory. The purpose of the exercises is to provide students with the opportunity to use the material discussed in lecture and lab. A situation will be described followed by a question to be answered. A question or situation will be posted on the EPWS311 listserve each week of the semester along with a deadline for responses. Responses that have been received by the deadline will be read and graded using the following criteria: is the answer logical and reasonable; are the sentences complete; and is the answer short and to the point. I expect you to use your notes and other course material to answer the questions; however, I do not want or expect lengthy responses. Grading will be as follows: 1 point for a complete, correct answer; 0.5 point for an attempted answer; 0 points for no answer. The scores will be added over the semester and will count toward 5% of the laboratory grade.

The address of the class listserve is epws311@nmsu.edu. You will need to subscribe to the listserve as soon as possible. We will use this listserve to provide information, remind you of due dates, and to pose the field problem solving exercises described above. You may use the listserve to ask questions and discuss any topics of interest relating to Weed Science. REMEMBER - any message you post to the listserve will be sent to all of the subscribers (including yourself).

To subscribe to the EPWS311 list, sent the following message to listproc@nmsu.edu:

subscribe epws311 <your name>

EPWS 311/511 Introduction to Weed Science: Course Objectives

The major objectives of the course are to provide an overview of the discipline of Weed Science and discuss the tools used in effective weed management programs. Although much of the semester is spent discussing herbicide families, emphasis will be placed on the fact that herbicides are only one aspect of effective weed management programs.

1. Students should be able to define a number of terms commonly used when describing weeds and weed management.

2. Students should be able to identify and describe characteristics of weeds that make management a challenge and increase their survival in disturbed agroecosystems.

3. Students should be able to discuss why managing weeds is important for maximizing economic yield of agronomic and horticultural crops.

4. Students should be able to discuss why weeds are not just a problem for agricultural crops but that introduction of weeds (exotic plants) into native areas will impact wildlife, native habitats, recreational areas, and the preservation of endangered species.

5. Students should be able to discuss the methods for weed management and what is meant by `integrated weed management'.

6. Students should be able to discuss the factors that influence herbicide fate in the environment.

7. Students should be able to explain the principles of herbicide selectivity, why many herbicides will harm some plants and not other plants.

8. Students should be able to describe herbicide classification based on mode of action, site of action, and chemistry.

9. Students should be able to describe the different herbicide modes of action.

10. Students should be able to identify the following when they see a herbicide structure or chemical name: herbicide family, mode of action, selectivity, example of use (how its applied and situations used in), types of weeds controlled, persistence characteristics, unique characteristics and/or problems associated with its use.

11. Students should be able to discuss the problems associated with the use of herbicides: weed resistance, persistence that is too long or too short, off-target movement, food safety and others.

12. Students should be able to identify many of the common weeds found in southern New Mexico.

13. Students should be able to identify the components of a spray system, explain how a sprayer is calibrated, and do the calculations involved with calibration.

14. Students should be able to recognize injury symptoms and the agricultural practices which induced them (ie. sandy soil, bad nozzle, overlap, cultivator).

15. Students should be able to identify the common symptoms exhibited by sensitive plants after treatment with herbicides having different modes of action.

16. Students should be familiar with herbicide formulations and when and how additional adjuvants are used.

17. Students should be able to read and use a herbicide label and be able to make weed control recommendations for some situations, including those situations where the use of a herbicide may not be the best recommendation.

18. Students should be familiar with the laws regarding pesticide use in New Mexico, pesticide applicator licenses, and worker protection. EPWS 311/511 Student Survey