Volunteer potato is a perennial weed that is difficult to control in crop rotations. Field studies were conducted near Paterson, WA, in 2001 and 2002 to evaluate the control of volunteer potato with carfentrazone-ethyl and dicamba in field corn. When potatoes were not controlled corn yield was reduced 23 and 62% in 2001 and 2002, respectively. Single postemergence (POST) applications of carfentrazone-ethyl at 9 g/ha killed exposed foliage of potato, but new shoots continued to emerge both years and reduced corn yield in 2002. The most effective treatments tested were a single mid-postemergence application of carfentrazone-ethyl plus dicamba (9 280 g/ha), two applications of carfentrazone-ethyl alone at early postemergence and late postemergence, and three POST applications of carfentrazone-ethyl, which controlled volunteer potato 77 to 87% in early June, reduced weight of tubers produced by 76 to 96% compared with nontreated checks, and prevented corn yield loss compared with hand-weeded checks. Herbicide treatments reduced potato tuber weight more than tuber number.

Nomenclature: Carfentrazone-ethyl; dicamba; field corn, Zea mays L.; potato, Solanum tuberosum L. ‘Russet Burbank’.

Additional index words: Groundkeeper (volunteer potato).

Abbreviations: EPOST, early postemergence; LPOST, late postemergence; MPOST, mid-postemergence; POST, postemergence.