Effects of Various Environmental Conditions on the Growth of <i>Amaranthus patulus</i> Bertol. and Changes of Herbicide Efficacy Caused by Increasing Temperatures

Understanding the effects of climate change on weed growth and herbicide activity is important for optimizing herbicide applications for effective weed control in the future. Therefore, this study examined how climate change affects the growth of <i>Amaranthus patulus</i> and the efficacy of soil and foliar herbicides at different temperatures. Although the control values for <i>A. patulus</i> differed between herbicides and temperature, the control values increased with increasing time after the herbicide treatments. Under growth conditions in which the temperature remained constant, the efficacy of soil-applied herbicides, ethalfluralin, metolachlor, linuron, and alachlor, on <i>A. patulus</i> was highest when the weeds were grown at high temperature. In particular, 100% control values of <i>A. patulus</i> were achieved in response to metolachlor treatments at the total recommended dosage in growth chambers at 35 °C. The efficacy of foliar herbicides, glufosinate-ammonium, bentazone, and mecoprop, on <i>A. patulus</i> was also highest when the plant was grown at high temperature, except for glyphosate isopropylamine, which had similar efficacy rates regardless of the temperature. <i>A. patulus</i> was 100% controlled in response to glufosinate-ammonium, bentazone, and mecoprop at the recommended dosages in growth chambers at 30 and 35 °C. Under growth conditions in which the temperature changed from day to night, the efficacy of soil-applied herbicides, alachlor and linuron, on <i>A. patulus</i> was highest when the weeds were grown at high temperature. On the other hand, the efficacy of the soil-applied herbicides metolachlor and linuron on <i>A. patulus</i> was similar regardless of the temperature. The efficacy of foliar herbicides, glyphosate isopropylamine, glufosinate-ammonium, bentazone, and mecoprop, on <i>A. patulus</i> was highest when the weeds were grown at high temperature. Although herbicide efficacy varied depending on whether the weeds were grown at constant or alternating temperatures, herbicide efficacy was generally highest when the temperature was high.