Diflufenzopyr influences leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) control by herbicides

Diflufenzopyr is an auxin-transport inhibitor that has increased broadleaf weed control by some auxin herbicides. The effects of auxin herbicides when applied with diflufenzopyr for leafy spurge or Canada thistle control, herbage production, and herbicide absorption and translocation in leafy spurge were evaluated. The influence of diflufenzopyr on leafy spurge and Canada thistle control varied by herbicide. Diflufenzopyr applied with quinclorac increased both Canada thistle and leafy spurge control. Diflufenzopyr added to picloram increased leafy spurge but not Canada thistle control, whereas control of both weeds generally increased when diflufenzopyr was applied with dicamba. Canada thistle control slightly improved when diflufenzopyr was applied with clopyralid or clopyralid plus 2,4-D compared with the herbicides alone. Diflufenzopyr did not influence weed control from imazapic and reduced weed control from glyphosate. Weed control was not influenced by the ratio of diflufenzopyr to herbicide or by whether diflufenzopyr was tank mixed with or applied before the herbicides. Diflufenzopyr did not affect cool-season grass production in the greenhouse or field but did reduce sideoats grama and switchgrass production when applied alone and with dicamba in greenhouse trials. C-14-picloram and C-14-quinclorac absorption was increased when applied with diflufenzopyr in leafy spurge but nearly all absorbed herbicide remained in the treated leaf compared with the herbicides applied alone. C-14-dicamba absorption decreased from 60 to 14% when applied with diflufenzopyr and translocation to the roots decreased by a factor of 10. Overall, the increase in weed control from the addition of diflufenzopyr was much more pronounced with leafy spurge than with Canada thistle.