Evaluation of herbicides for long-term weed control in row middles pumpkins and cucumbers (2010) - 4 pages
The rows of many horticultural crops are widely spaced to provide room for eventual crop growth and/or access by equipment and pickers. Consistent weed control in the space between rows (row middles) is necessary; otherwise, the weeds will compete with the crop and/or interfere with the harvest. At present, most growers rely on tillage to control weeds in the row middles. However, tillage tends to stimulate the germination of weed seeds – necessitating repeated tillage operations over the course of the growing season. Repeated tillage is time-consuming, burns fossil fuels, degrades the soil structure and contributes to the depletion of soil organic matter reserves. Tillage between the rows also becomes progressively less practical as the crop grows into the row middles.
The range of herbicides tested was based on previous U of S work and suggestions from the
industry;
a) Weedy control – no tillage beyond the initial field prep
b) Clean Start = Aim (carfentrazone) @ 14ml/a + Roundup (glyphosate) @ 0.5 l/a
c) Chateau (flumioxazin) @ 75g/a
d) Sencor (metribuzin) @ 200 g/a
e) Lorox (linuron) @ 1.9 L/a
f) Authority (sulfentrazone) @ 100 ml/a
g) Edge (ethafluralin) @12 kg/a
h) Goal (oxyflurfen) @ 500 ml/a
i) Corn gluten @ 1200 kg/a
This would be more than enough time to allow a vine crop like cucumbers or pumpkins
to become well established with the vines filling in the row centers, effectively eliminating the
need for any further weed control.
