Three videos on in-row weeding tools (Finger weeder, Torsion weeder, Tine harrow) were developed at the Michigan State University Department of Horticulture. Each video is 20 minutes: introduces the tool, how it works, different models, show adjusting the tool in the field, and a short interview with a farmer who uses the tool. These videos can be accessed at the MSU Mechanical Weed Control Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH-k889oYbUaEznvgiDtrOQ
This article provides more detailed information about this herbicide. How does Chateau® herbicide work Chateau® is a group 14 mode-of-action herbicide. Compounds in this group are most active on broadleaf weeds. Before Chateau® became available, no other preemergence herbicide with the same mode of action was labeled for use in watermelons and cantaloupes. The active ingredient of Chateau® herbicide, flumioxazin, controls susceptible weeds by inhibiting propoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO), an enzyme that controls chlorophyll synthesis. Because of chlorophyll production inhibition, a chain reaction occurs within the plant that causes cell membrane disruption. Chateau® herbicide can assist in the postemergence control of emerged weeds. It is taken up by roots, stems, or leaves of young plants. It kills weeds through direct contact. There is usually little or no translocation of the herbicide within plants. Foliage necrosis can be observed after 4 to 6 hours of sunlight following the herbicide application. Susceptible plants[Read More…]
Chateau SW® herbicide now has a 24(c) special local needs label for cucurbits. This product is produced by Valent, but the label is held by the Indiana Vegetable Growers Association (IVGA). To obtain a label, one must be a member of the IVGA, pay an annual $100 processing fee, read and understand the ‘conditions for use’ and have the appropriate forms signed and notarized. One cannot use Chateau SW® without completing these forms and obtaining a label. This process must be repeated every year. Chateau® can only be used in row middles between raised plastic mulch beds that are 4 inches higher than the treated row middle. The mulched bed must be at least 24 inches wide. The application must be directed between rows with a shielded sprayer. Chateau® cannot be applied post-transplant. Do not apply more than 4 oz. of Chateau® per acre at a broadcast rate during a single application.[Read More…]
On January 1, products containing >6.5% dicamba and an agriculture use label are now restricted use pesticides. In order to purchase these herbicides, buyers must carry a private or commercial pesticide applicator license. While dicamba herbicides have been on the market for over 50 years to control broadleaf weeds, the recent development of dicamba resistant soybeans has given soybean producers a new post-emergent option for the management of herbicide resistant weeds. The new soybeans are XtendiMax® soybeans and FeXapan®, XtendiMax®, or Engenia® herbicides, all dicamba-based products can be sprayed on them. Those producers who plan to apply any of the three soybean dicamba products MUST attend a training before any of these products are applied. This is a requirement mandated by the EPA approved label. These trainings cover basic drift reduction techniques, as well as label requirements. One requirement is before application of a soybean dicamba product; producers must visit[Read More…]
Recent dry weather raises concern about effectiveness of preemergent herbicides. Preemergent herbicides applied on the soil surface need to be moved into the soil where the target weed seeds are germinating (normally 1-2 inches deep) in order to be effective. The process normally requires 0.5 to 0.75 inch of water within a few days of herbicide application. For example, product labels state that Curbit 3EC® needs 0.5 inch of water within 5 days of application, and Dual Magnum® needs at least 0.5 inch water within 10 days of application. In nonirrigated areas where rain is not anticipated, a shallow cultivation is needed to move the herbicide into the zone of weed seed germination. Most areas of Indiana were dry the last week of May and first week of June. If preemergent herbicides were not incorporated in a timely manner by water or machine, unsatisfactory weed control might be observed. In that case,[Read More…]
U.S. EPA approved a supplemental label to use Kerb SC® herbicide in leaf lettuce. Kerb® is a selective herbicide for control of certain annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. It can be used in direct seeded or transplanted leaf lettuce. Application can be made before or after planting but must be made prior to weed emergence. It may be applied at the rate of 1.25 to 5.0 pints of product (0.5 to 2 lb active ingredient) per acre broadcast application. Depending on application rates, 25 to 55 days of preharvest intervals are required. Refer to the label for more application information http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ld9R3003.pdf.
The herbicide Chateau SW® is labeled for several vegetable crops including asparagus, mint, onion, and sweet potato. Recently, several growers asked Purdue University whether this product could be labeled in Indiana for cucurbit production. The answer is that Chateau® is not and will not be labeled for Indiana cucurbit production. We want to use this opportunity to explain why Chateau® will not be available for use by cucurbit growers in Indiana. The reason that the product Chateau® came to the attention of cucurbit growers in Indiana is that in other states Chateau® is available for use. These states include Florida and Georgia. The manner is which Chateau® is labeled in these other states is via third party indemnification. That is, the company that registers Chateau® makes an agreement with a grower’s organization in that state to limit liability for the registrant, Valent U.S.A. Valent U.S.A. has stated that they will[Read More…]
Some of the herbicides available for use on vegetables in Indiana are registered under a supplemental label or under a special local needs (SLN, 24(c)) registration. In these cases the instructions for use on vegetables are not on the main label that comes with the purchased product. For instance, in the Midwest Vegetable Production Guide, Dual Magnum® is listed as an option for watermelon, cantaloupe, and cucumber in Indiana and Ohio. The label on the herbicide container doesn’t list those crops. Neither does the main label available from a common online label site, www.cdms.net. This is because the product is registered for use on these crops under a special local needs (24(c)) registration. Anyone using the product should have on hand a copy of the label that provides specific instructions for use on the crop in question, in addition to the main label. The 24(c) label in this example is[Read More…]
Vegetable, fruit, and organic farmers can register their production areas on Driftwatch.org to let commercial pesticide applicators know where the fields are. Beekeepers can also register sites where beehives are located. Once sites are registered and approved they appear on the Driftwatch registry map (see Fig. 1) and partnering applicators are notified. This helps applicators reduce drift or accidental application to vegetable crops. Registration is free and easy. Why not do it today? Visit Fieldwatch.com to find the user guide with instructions. If you registered fields last year you will need to renew the sites in order for them to show up in the registry this year. When renewing, it isn’t necessary to reenter all the information, just what has changed for 2015. Instructions for renewal are also online.
