The invasive aquatic plant Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) can hybridize with the related North American native species northern watermilfoil (M. sibiricum Kom.). Hybrid watermilfoil (M. spicatum × M. sibiricum) populations have higher fitness and reduced sensitivity to some commonly used aquatic herbicides, making management more difficult. There is growing concern that management practices using herbicides in lakes with mixed populations of watermilfoil species may further select for hybrid individuals due to the difference in herbicide sensitivity. Accurate and cost-effective identification of rare hybrid individuals within populations is therefore critical for herbicide management decisions. Here we describe KASP assays for three SNPs in the ITS region to genotype individuals from both parental watermilfoil species and their hybrid, using synthesized plasmids containing the respective sequences as positive controls. Using KASP we genotyped 16 individuals from one lake and 23 individuals from a second lake, giving a highly accurate picture of Myriophyllum species distribution dynamics. We identified one hybrid individual among 16 samples from one lake, a discovery rate of <10%. Discriminant analysis showed that while a single SNP was generally sufficient for genotyping an individual, using multiple SNPs increased the reliability of genotyping. In the future, the ability to genotype many samples will provide the ability to identify the presence of rare individuals, such as a less common parental species or the inter-specific hybrid. Lakes with complex species distribution dynamics, such as a low proportion of hybrids, are where herbicide application must be carefully chosen so as not to select for the more vigorous and less herbicide-sensitive hybrid individuals.

LITTER REDUCTION BY PRESCRIBED BURNINGCAN EXTEND DOWNY BROME CONTROL Downy brome (Bromus tectorum L.) is a highly successful invasive species primarily because it fills an open niche in native plant communities. It also produces large amounts of litter over time. We hypothesized that removing accumulated litter with a prescribed burn before applying herbicides would improve herbicide efficacy, extending the duration of control. In January 2012, two downy brome infested sites were burned. In March 2012, post-emergent applications of glyphosate, imazapic, and tebuthiuron were made in a split-plot design.Aboveground biomass was collected at 6, 18 and 27 months after treatment (MAT) to evaluate treatment effects. In non-burned areas, all herbicide treatments were similar to the control 27 MAT; however, burning combined with imazapic or tebuthiuron reduced downy brome biomass 27 MAT by 81% ± 4.6 SE and 84% ± 19.3 SE, respectively. Remnant species responded positively to burning and herbicide treatments. Native cool season grass biomass increased after burning while native warm season grass biomass increased following tebuthiuron treatments.The impact of litter on imazapic and tebuthiuron availability was also evaluated. Herbicide interception increased in a linear relationship with increasing litter. For every 50 g·m -2 increase in litter there was a 7% increase in the amount of herbicide intercepted, meaning that 75% of the applied herbicide was intercepted by 360 g·m -2 of litter. A simulated rainfall event of 5 mm, 7 days after application, removed a significant amount of herbicide. This indicates that at sites with surface litter, timely precipitation could be critical for herbicide efficacy; however, when burning was used to remove litter and was followed by herbicides with residual soil activity, iii downy brome control was extended. Due to downy brome's relatively short seed viability in the soil, extending herbicide efficacy to several years could help to reduce the soil seed bank.iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Halosulfuron-methyl, a sulfonylurea herbicide, was registered for broadleaf weed control in dry bean. This herbicide has an adequate margin of crop safety in white bean, but causes unacceptable injury to adzuki bean. Halosulfuron-methyl absorption, translocation, and metabolism were evaluated in white and adzuki bean using radiolabeled herbicide to determine if differences in these parameters could explain the difference in crop safety between these two species. Adzuki bean had more rapid halosulfuron-methyl absorption than white bean. Adzuki bean reached 90% absorption (t90) 26.2 h after treatment (HAT), whereas white bean required 40.1 HAT to reacht90. The maximum halosulfuron-methyl absorption was higher in adzuki bean (75.7%) than in white bean (65.3%). More14C-halosulfuron was translocated to the apex, first trifoliate, stem above the treated leaf, and roots in aduzki bean than in white bean. The maximum radioactivity translocated out of treated leaf was higher in adzuki bean (17.7%) than in white bean (12.1%). Halosulfuron-methyl was broken down to the same metabolites in white and adzuki bean. The half-life of halosulfuron-methyl in adzuki bean was 16 HAT, compared with less than 6 HAT in white bean. More herbicide remained as the free acid in adzuki bean compared with white bean over the entire 48-h time course. The differential tolerance of white and adzuki bean to halosulfuron can be attributed to greater absorption and translocation and decreased metabolism in adzuki bean.