Sunnhemp cover crop seed germination can be lowered due to poor seed quality, incorrect planting depth, or adverse weather effects. The objective of this research is to evaluate weed control by herbicides in a reduced sunnhemp population. Research trials were conducted at the Plant Science Research and Education Unit, Citra, Florida, and the Syngenta Vero Beach Research Center, Vero Beach, FL. The treatments were sunnhemp at 44.83 kg/ha, sunnhemp at 22.4 kg/ha ( no herbicide, bentazon at 1.12 kg/ha, sulfentrazone at 0.14 kg/ha, halosulfuron at 0.04 kg/ha, glyphosate at 5.5 kg/ha followed by glyphosate at 5.5 kg/ha, and oxyfluorfen at 0.56 kg/ha), and a nontreated weed fallow. Sunnhemp was planted in Citra on July 18, 2023 and in Vero Beach on July 27, 2023; herbicides were applied 2 weeks after planting when the sunnhemp were 15 to 25 cm tall. After 8 weeks of growth, the sunnhemp was mowed and the field was prepared for laying plastic and planting bell pepper. The oxyfluorfen caused significant injury to the sunnhemp; this treatment had similar broadleaf, grass, and nutsedge populations to the weed fallow. In Citra at 14 and 28 days after application, bentazon, sulfentrazone, or halosuluron had lower populations than sunnhemp at 22.4 kg/ha alone, but at cover crop termination all the cover crop treatments had similar nutsedge control. All cover crop alone and cover crop herbicide treatments had similar grass and broadleaf control at crop termination. In the bell pepper crop at Vero Beach, oxyfluorfen had greater nutsedge populations than all the other treatments. Crop yields were similar among the cover crop alone or with a herbicide. The application of a herbicide in a reduced cover crop population is not necessary for increased weed control in a fall cash crop. However, the reduced cover crop population in this study was artificially created so the sunnhemp population was equal spaced through the entire plot. If the sunnhemp is significantly impacted like the oxyfluorfen treatment, then more intense recovery action may be necessary.
