Weed management is a major production issue facing otebo bean growers in Ontario. Field trials were conducted at six Ontario locations during a 2-yr period (2003 and 2004) to evaluate the tolerance of otebo bean to the preplant incorporated (PPI) application of EPTC at 4,400 and 8,800 g ai/ha, trifluralin at 1,155 and 2,310 g ai/ha, dimethenamid at 1,250 and 2,500 g ai/ha, S-metolachlor at 1,600 and 3,200 g ai/ha, and imazethapyr at 75 and 150 g ai/ha. EPTC, trifluralin, dimethenamid, and S-metolachlor applied PPI resulted in minimal (less than 5%) visual injury and with exception of the low rate of dimethenamid causing a 16% reduction in shoot dry weight and the high rate causing an 8% plant height reduction had no adverse effect on plant height, shoot dry weight, seed moisture content, and yield. Imazethapyr applied PPI caused up to 7% visual injury and reduced plant height, shoot dry weight, and yield 8, 18, and 12% at 75 g/ha and 19, 38, and 27% at 150 g/ ha, respectively. Seed moisture content was also reduced by 0.4% with both rates. Based on these results, otebo bean is not tolerant of imazethapyr applied PPI at rates as low as 75 g/ha, the proposed use rate. EPTC, trifluralin, dimethenamid, and S-metolachlor applied PPI have a 2× rate crop safety margin for use in otebo bean weed management.

Nomenclature: Dimethenamid; EPTC; imazethapyr; S-metolachlor; trifluralin; otebo bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Hime’.

Additional index words: Sensitivity, visual injury, tolerance, shoot dry weight.

Abbreviations: 1×, the recommended maximum use rate; 2×, twice the maximum recommended use rate; BCMV, bean common mosaic virus; DAE, days after emergence; OM, organic matter; PPI, preplant incorporated.