Field and greenhouse studies were conducted from 1997 to 2001 to determine cabbage response to posttransplant applications of pendimethalin (0.56 to 2.24 kg ai/ha). Differential variety response was minimal, and applications greater than 0.56 kg caused severe and persistent crop injury and reduced head number and yield in ‘Azan’, ‘Storage 4’, ‘Super Elite’, and ‘Super Red 90’. Pendimethalin (1.7 kg) applied posttransplant reduced cabbage yield weights 23, 30, and 87% with bare root, large, and small transplants, respectively. Application (0.84 kg) to soil, foliage, or soil and foliage caused 0, 81, and 82% dry weight reduction by 21 d after treatment, respectively. Anatomical analysis of two-leaf seedlings collected 3 wk after pendimethalin treatment (1.12 kg ai/ha) showed stunting of the shoot apical meristem and its emerging leaves, disorganization of apical structure with disruption of normal cell division and cell expansion, and abnormal differentiation of the vasculature in leaves and hypocotyls.

Nomenclature: Pendimethalin; cabbage, Brassica oleracea L.

Additional index words: Absorption, apical meristem, plant anatomy, transplant sensitivity, variety response.

Abbreviations: DAT, days after treatment; POST, postemergence or posttransplant; PTR, pretransplant; WAT, weeks after treatment.