Responsibilities and Interests:

Bill is a Professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences and has been a member of the faculty since 1990. Dr. Curran has an extension-research split and has statewide responsibilities for weed management in agronomic crops. Bill’s extension education program focuses on providing his ag constituents with the latest weed management information. Bill conducts research on basic weed biology, integrated weed management, weed management in conservation tillage systems including managing cover crops and most recently, he has focused on opportunities for managing weeds in organic crop production systems. Dr. Curran is active regionally and nationally in several scientific societies. He’s an active member in the Pennsylvania Agronomic Education Society, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, and is the Pennsylvania Representative for the Professional Development Program for Northeast SARE.

Current Graduate Students:

• Ryan Bates - M.S. in Agronomy
• Benjamin Crockett - M.S. in Agronomy

Education:

• B.S., Agronomy, Colorado State University, 1982
• M.S., Agronomy/Weed Science, Washington State University, 1985
• Ph.D., Agronomy/Weed Science, University of Illinois, 1990

Professional Background:

• 1990–present, Assistant/Associate/Full Professor of Agronomy and Weed Science, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Penn State, University Park.
• 1986–1990, Extension Agronomist, Department of Agronomy, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Selected Publications:

Extension

1. Curran, W.S., D.D. Lingenfelter, D.D. Clavin, and J.F. Tooker. 2009. Field crop pest management. In The 2009–2010 Agronomy Guide (revised). Penn State College of Agric. Sci., University Park.
2. Duiker, S. and W.S. Curran. 2007. Management of red clover as a cover crop, Agronomy Facts 67, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
3. Lingenfelter, D. and W.S. Curran. 2007. Weed management in CREP grasslands, Agronomy Facts 66, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
4. Dillehay, B. L. and W.S. Curran. 2006. Guidelines for weed management in roundup ready alfalfa, Agronomy Facts 65. Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA
5. Curran, W.S. 2004. Weed management in organic cropping systems, Agronomy Facts 64. Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA
6. Lingenfelter, D. and W. S. Curran. 2001. Wirestem muhly management in agronomic crops, Agronomy Facts 61, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
7. Curran, W.S. 2001. Weed management in pasture systems, Agronomy Facts 62. Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA
8. Curran, W.S., J. Harper, and D.D. Lingenfelter. 2000. Herbicide resistant crops in 2000, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park.
9. Curran, W. S and D. D. Lingenfelter. 2000. Field crop weed control guide. Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA., 92 pages.
10. Curran, W. S. M.D. McGlamery, R. A. Liebl, and D. D. Lingenfelter. 1999. Adjuvants for enhancing herbicide performance, Agronomy Facts 37, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA
11. Curran, W. S. 1999. Management of shattercane and johnsongrass; an integrated approach, Agronomy Facts 4, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
12. Curran, W. S. 1999. Management of triazine-resistant lambsquarters and pigweed, an integrated approach, Agronomy Facts 10. Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
13. Curran, W. S. 1998. Persistence of herbicides in soil, Agronomy Facts 36, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
14. Werner, E. L., W. S. Curran and D. D. Lingenfelter. 1998. Management of eastern black nightshade in agronomic crops, an integrated approach. Agronomy Facts 58, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
15. Messersmith, D., W. S. Curran, and D. D. Lingenfelter. 1997. Managing burcucumber in agronomic crops. Agronomy Facts 59, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
16. Curran, W. S., D. D. Lingenfelter, and L. Garling. 1996. Weed management in conservation tillage. Conservation tillage fact sheet series, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
17. Curran, W. S., D. D. Lingenfelter, L. Garling, and P. Wagoner. 1996. Cover crops for conservation tillage. Conservation tillage fact sheet series, Penn State College of Agric. Sci., Univ. Park, PA.
18. Gunsolus, J. and W. S. Curran. 1996. Herbicide mode of action and injury symptoms (revised). North Centr. Reg. Ext. Publ. No. 377.

Research:

1. Mischler, R.A., S.W. Duiker, W.S. Curran, and D. Wilson. 2010. Hairy vetch management for no-till organic corn production. Agron. J. (In Press).
2. Ryan, M.R., D.A. Mortensen, L. Bastiaans, J.R. Teasdale, S.B. Mirsky, W.S. Curran, R. Seidel, P.R. Hepperly, and D.O. Wilson. 2009. Elucidating the apparent maize tolerance to weed competition in long-term organically managed systems. Weed Research (In Press)
3. Ryan, M.R., R.G. Smith, D.A. Mortensen, R. Seidel, J.R. Teasdale, W.S. Curran, and D. Shumway. 2009. Weed-crop competition relationships differ between organic and conventional cropping systems. Weed Research (In Press).
4. Mirsky, S.B., W.S. Curran, D.A. Mortensen, M.R. Ryan, and D.L. Shumway. 2009. Control of cereal rye with a roller/crimper as influenced by cover crop phenology. Agron. J. 101:1589–1596.
5. Dillehay, B.L., W.S. Curran, and M.H. Hall. 2009. Potential for Delayed Orchardgrass Seeding during Glyphosate-Resistant Alfalfa Establishment. Agron. J. 101: 1108–1112.
6. Lingenfelter, D.D. and W.S. Curran. 2007. Effect of glyphosate and several ACCase-inhibitor herbicides on wirestem muhly (Muhlenbergia frondosa) control. Weed Technol. 21:732–738.
7. Byers, R.A., W. S. Curran, B. W. Pennypacker, and B. A. Khan. 2006. Invertebrate pests, weeds, and diseases of forage-livestock systems, Chapt. 9. In E. Rayburn (ed.), Pasture-Based Livestock Production, NRAES-135. (contributing senior author).
8. Duiker, S.W. and W.S. Curran 2005. Rye Cover Crop Management for Corn Production in the Northern Mid-Atlantic Region. Agron. J. 2005 97: 1413–1418.
9. Myers, M.W., W. S. Curran, M. J. VanGessel, B. A. Majek, D. A. Mortensen, D. D. Calvin, H. D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. 2005. Effect of soil disturbance on annual weed emergence in the northeastern United States. Weed Technol. 19:274–282.
10. Sanderson, M.A., R.R. Schnabel, W.S. Curran, W.L. Stout, D. Genito, and B.F. Tracy 2004. Switchgrass and big bluestem hay, biomass, and seed yield response to fire and glyphosate treatment. Agron. J. 96: 1688–1692.
11. Werner, E.L., W.S. Curran, J.K. Harper, G.W. Roth and D.P. Knievel. 2004. Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) interference and seed production in corn silage and grain. Weed Technology 18 (3): 779–783.
12. Gower, S. A. M. M. Loux, J. Cardina, S. K. Harrison, P. L. Sprankle, N. J. Probst, T. T. Bauman, W. Bugg, W. S. Curran, R. S. Currie, R. G. Harvey, W. G. Johnson, J. J. Kells, M. D. K. Owen, D. L. Regehr, C. H. Slack, M. Spaur, C. L. Sprague, M. Vangessel, and B. G. Young. 2003. Effect of postemergence glyphosate application timing on weed control and grain yield in glyphosate-resistant corn: results of a 2-yr multistate study. Weed Technol. 17: 821–828.
13. Myers, M.W., W.S. Curran, M. J. Vangessel, D.D. Calvin, D.A. Mortensen, B.A. Majek, H.D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. 2004. The effect of weed density and application timing on weed control and corn (Zea mays) grain yield. Weed Science 52:913–919.
14. Myers, M.W., W. S. Curran, M. J. VanGessel, D. D. Calvin, D. A. Mortensen, B. A. Majek, H. D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. 2004. Predicting Weed Emergence for Eight Annual Species in the Northeastern United States. Weed Sci. 52:913-919.
15. Esbenshade, W.R., W. S. Curran, G. W. Roth, N. L. Hartwig, And M. D. Orzolek. 2001. Effect of tillage, row spacing, and herbicide on the emergence and control of burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus) in soybean (Glycine max). Weed Technol. 15:229–235. Abstract.
16. Esbenshade, W.R., W. S. Curran, G. W. Roth, N. L. Hartwig, And M. D. Orzolek. 2001. Effect of row spacing and herbicides on burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus) control in herbicide resistant corn (Zea mays). Weed Technol. 15: 348–354. Abstract.
17. Esbenshade, W.R., W. S. Curran, G. W. Roth, N. L. Hartwig, And M. D. Orzolek. 2001. Effect of burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus) establishment date and crop competition on burcucumber fecundity. Weed Sci. 49:524–527. Abstract.
18. Messersmith, D. T., W. S. Curran, N. L. Hartwig, M. D. Orzolek, and G. W. Roth. 2000. Tillage and herbicides affect burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus) management in corn. Agron. J. 92:181–185. Abstract.
19. Curran, W. S. M. H. Hall, and E. L. Werner. 1999. Effect of varying imazethapyr application rate and timing on yield of seedling grass-alfalfa mixtures. J. Prod. Agric. 12:244–248.
20. Messersmith, D. T., W. S. Curran, N. L. Hartwig, M. D. Orzolek, and G. W. Roth. 1999. Evaluation of several herbicides for burcucumber (Sicyos angulatus) control in corn. Weed Technol. 13:520–524. Abstract.
21. Parks, R. J., W. S. Curran, G. W. Roth, N. L. Hartwig, and D. D. Calvin. 1996. Herbicide susceptibility and biological fitness of triazine-resistant and susceptible common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.). Weed Sci. 44:517–522.
22. Olsen, R. J., J. K. Harper, and W. S. Curran. 1996. Selecting cost minimizing herbicide programs for corn using integer programming. Weed Technol. 10:327–336.
23. Hall, M. H. and W. S. Curran. 1995. Evaluation of weed control practices during spring and summer alfalfa establishment. J. of Prod. Agric. 8(3) 360–365.
24. Nandula, V. K., W. S. Curran, G. W. Roth, and N. L. Hartwig. 1995. Effectiveness of nicosulfuron and primisulfuron on wirestem muhly (Muhlenbergia frondosa) in no-till corn (Zea mays). Weed Technol. 9:331–338.
25. Curran, W. S., L. D. Hoffman, and E. L. Werner. 1994. The influence of a hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) cover crop on weed control in corn (Zea mays). Weed Technol. 8:777–784.

Submitted under review

1. Ryan, M., D. Mortensen, R. Seidel, P. Hepperly, J. Teasdale, D. Shumway, W. Curran, and A. Hulting. Organic and conventional weed management efficacy and stability. Submitted to Weed Research.