AGRONOMY 479
WEED SCIENCE
Fall 2013
I. General Information
AGRN 479G (Weed Control) is a 3 credit hour course that will cover the identification, biology and
distribution of weeds; weed interference of desirable plant growth; herbicide classification, use and
environmental fate; appropriate application of chemical, cultural, biological and mechanical weed control
methods.
Lecture:
Laboratory:
MW 2:00-2:50 p.m., Knoblauch 226
TH 1:00-2:50 p.m., Knoblauch 226 or AFL – Agronomy Unit
Prerequisites:
AGRN 373 – Integrated Pest Management
Instructor:
Dr. Mark Bernards
227 Knoblauch Hall
Tele: 309-298-1569
Email: ml-bernards@wiu.edu
Office Hours:
M 1:00-1:50 p.m.; W 11:00-11:50 a.m, F 8:00-9:50 a.m. or by appointment
Required Texts:
Ross MA Lembi CA. 2009. Applied Weed Science – Including the Ecology and Management of Invasive
Plants. Pearson-Prentice Hill, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Bryson CT DeFelice MS. 2010. Weeds of the Midwestern United States and Central Canada. University
of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia. (currently $24.70 at Amazon.com)
Bradley KW Johnson B, Smeda R, Boerboom C. 2009. Practical Weed Science for the Field Scout.
University of Missouri Extension, Columbia, MO. ($3.00 from University of Missouri Extension).
Supplementary Texts:
Davis A. et al. 2005. Integrated Weed Management: “One Year’s Seeding . . .” Michigan State University
Extension Bulletin E-2931.
Stubbendieck JL, Coffin MJ Landholt LM. 2003. Weeds of the Great Plains. Nebraska Department of
Agriculture, Lincoln, NE
Taylor E, Renner K, Sprague C. 2008. Integrated Weed Management: Fine Tuning the System. Michigan
State University Extension Bulletin E-3605.
Uva RH, Neal JC, DiTomaso JM. 1997. Weeds of the Northeast. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY.
II. University Policies and Expectations
Student rights and responsibilities: A complete description is available at
www.wiu.edu/provost/students.
Academic Integrity (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php): Western Illinois University, like all
communities, functions best when its members treat one another with honesty, fairness, respect, and
trust. . . It is the student's responsibility to be informed and to abide by all University regulations and
policies on Academic Integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty constitute a
serious violation of University conduct regulations. Students who engage in dishonesty in any form shall
be charged with academic dishonesty. . . Any student, faculty member, or staff person who has witnessed
an apparent act of student academic dishonesty, or has information that reasonably leads to the
conclusion that such an act has occurred or has been attempted, has an ethical responsibility for
reporting said act(s).
The policy for AGRN 479: Any confirmed act of academic dishonesty (especially plagiarism or cheating)
will result in the loss of all points associated with that assignment, and may result in an “F” for the course.
Non-Discrimination (http://www.wiu.edu/policies/affirmact.php): Western Illinois University is committed
to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment for its students, faculty, and staff
that is free from discrimination based on sex, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender
expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Disabilities: In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA),
academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an
accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) you must obtain
documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Resource Center (DRC) and provide
it to the instructor. It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's
attention, as he/she is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students
who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the
instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability
Resource Center (DRC) at 298-2512 for additional services.”
Education Majors: You are required to receive a grade of a "C" or better in this course.
III. Course Expectations and Policies
1. Live the Golden Rule. Treat others with respect and courtesy in your conversation and actions. Turn
off and put away electronic devices during the class period unless directed to use them for class
activities. Class is not the time to read the newspaper or magazines.
2. Show up. Attendance and punctuality is expected. Notify the instructor in advance if you have any
reason to miss a class period through the O.A.R.S system (http://wiu.edu/oars). A minimum of 24 h
notice (email or phone) is required if there is any cause to miss an exam. If you do miss a class
period, do not ask the instructor “Did I miss anything important?” It is your responsibility to make
arrangements to get the information you missed and to make up any missed assignments.
3. Participate. Be prepared for class discussions by completing readings, taking notes, asking
questions, and working effectively with other students on lecture activities.
4. Study. You should plan to spend a minimum of 3 hours outside of class each week to adequately
learn the material.
5. Complete assignments. Assignments not turned in on the assigned date will have 10% of the total
potential points deducted for each day after the due date. The instructor will generally return exams
and assignments within 1 week.
6. The use of tobacco is prohibited in Knoblauch Hall, nor is it allowed during sessions at the AFL.
Two dismissals due to disruptive or unprofessional behavior will result in a permanent disbarment
from the course and a final grade of “F” will be assigned.
IV. Course Objectives
At the conclusion of this course you should be able to:
a. Identify approximately 80 weedy species, describe their basic biology and list the Latin binomial
name of 40 species
b. Explain what factors contribute to the “weediness” and invasive potential of a species
c. Explain how weeds cause damage to a landscape and predict potential crop losses
d. Identify appropriate non-herbicide techniques for managing weeds based on the biology of the
weed species
e. Describe factors that affect herbicide activity, movement, and fate in soil
f. Describe how herbicides enter, move within, and affect plant growth and development
g. Illustrate why herbicides are selective and why plants become resistant to them
h. Differentiate herbicide active ingredients into the appropriate herbicide site of action
i.
j.
k.
l.
Diagnose herbicide injury and symptomology for eleven herbicide mechanisms of action
Demonstrate the ability to properly calibrate a sprayer
Demonstrate the ability to calculate proper rates for applying herbicides
Create a weed management plan for a specific management area
V. Grading
Probable Grade components
Participation
Assignments
Lab quizzes/exams
Lecture quizzes
Final exam (comprehensive)
Grading Scale
Percentage
93.0-100
90.0-92.9
87.0-89.9
83.0-86.9
80.0-82.9
77.0-79.9
Grade
A
AB+
B
BC+
Portion
5%
30%
28%
28%
9%
Percentage
73.0-76.9
70.0-72.9
67.0-69.9
63.0-66.9
60.0-62.9
<59.9
Grade
C
CD+
D
DF
VI. Learning Assessment
Participation: A composite of attendance, punctuality, and preparedness for class discussions.
Assignments: Various assignments will be given throughout the semester to help you achieve the course
objectives. Four major assignments will include:
• Weed Collection of 25 plant specimens (physical or photographed) and a seed collection of 20
species.
• Review of an article related to weed biology or management that you select (with approval from
instructor) that was published in one of the following journals: Weed Science, Weed Research,
Weed Technology, Weed Biology and Management, Invasive Plant Science and Management, or
Pest Management Science
• Report on a weed for which you have interest
• Develop a comprehensive Weed Management Plan for a plant production system in which your
group has interest. Weed Management Plans will be presented during the last lab session.
Lab quizzes/exams: A quiz will be given most laboratory periods that will review material covered in
previous lab sessions. In addition, there will be three laboratory exams:
• Weed ID exam – You will be asked to identify 50 species by common name, Latin binomial and/or
life cycle.
• Herbicide Mechanism of Action exam – You will be asked to identify the herbicide mechanism of
action applied based on the symptomology evident on the plant and the selectivity of species
affected
• Herbicide calculation and sprayer calibration exam
Lecture quizzes: Quizzes will be given approximately every other week and will review material covered
in the lectures. The quizzes will include multiple choice, true-false, fill in the blank, and short essay
questions.
Final exam: The final exam will assess your ability to answer the course objectives.
VII. Probable Course Calendar
Date
Aug 19
Aug 21
Aug 26
Aug 28
Sep 2
Sep 4
Sep 9
Sep 11
Sep 16
Sep 18
Sep 23
Sep 25
Sep 30
Oct 2
Lecture Topics
What makes a plant a weed
Environmental and economic impacts of
weeds
Review: Plant anatomy ,biology and
physiology
Review: Soil Systems
Labor Day, No class.
Herbicide history and nomenclature,
Quiz 1
Herbicide Uptake and Movement
Herbicide Mechanism of Action
Herbicide Selectivity, Quiz 2
Herbicide Chemistry
Shoot and Root Inhibitors
Synthetic Auxins, Glyphosate and
ACCase-inhibitors
Quiz 3, ALS-inhibitors
Pigment- and PSII-inhibitors
Oct 7
Oct 9
PSI and PPO-inhibitors, Glufosinate
Ag Career Fair
Herbicide Fate
Oct 14
Evolution of herbicide resistance
Quiz 4
Mechanisms of herbicide resistance
Oct 16
Oct 21
Oct 23
Oct 28
Weed-Crop interference and resource
competition
Critical Period of Weed Control,
allelopathy and parasitism
Nov 6
Weed seed and vegetative structure
dispersal, Quiz 5
Weed seedbank dynamics and seed
dormancy
No class. Herbicide selection resources
online assignment
Mechanisms of plant invasions
Nov 11
Nov 13
Managing annual weeds, Quiz 6
Managing biennial and perennial weeds
Nov 19
Nov 21
Weed mngt in annual crops
Weed mngt in perennial crops or
landscapes
Thanksgiving Break
Thanksgiving Break
Quiz 7, State of Herbicide Resistance
12 step herbicide resistance management
Final Exam, 3 -5 p.m., 226 KH
Oct 30
Nov 4
Nov 25
Nov 27
Dec 2
Dec 4
Dec 10
Date
Lab topic (Location)
Aug 22
Weed Collections/Landscape weeds
Aug 29
Weed family characteristics/ Agronomic weeds I
Sep 5
Herbicide research/ Agronomic weeds II
Sep 12
Herbicide symptomology/Pasture weeds
Sep 19
Herbicide symptomology/ Right-of-way and
woodland weeds
Sep 26
Herbicide symptomology/Weed Scavenger Hunt
Oct 3
Weed ID exam
Herbicide selectivity
Oct 10
Reading peer-review articles/
Herbicide symptomology practice
Weed collection due
Oct 17
Herbicide Symptomology and Selectivity Exam
Weed Management Plans
Oct 24
Mechanical and Physical Weed Control Tools
Weed Management Economics
Scientific article summary due
Oct 31
Cultural and biological weed management tools
Nov 7
Herbicide selection, adjuvant selection and load
ticket math
Nov 14
Herbicide application equipment, nozzles and
sprayer calibration
Nov 22
Scouting and Troubleshooting
Nov 28
Happy Thanksgiving
Dec 5
Herbicide Management Plan Presentations