- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
Weeds compete with crops for light, water, and nutrients, which can result in yield reductions. Weeds can also interfere with crop production by serving as alternate hosts for pests and pathogens, providing habitat for rodents, and impeding harvest operations, among other impacts. Natural areas can also be impacted by weed species when they reduce aesthetics and disrupt ecosystem services. As a consequence, growers and land managers employ a variety of control strategies, including the application of herbicides, to manage unwanted vegetation.
Although herbicides can be effective tools for controlling undesirable plants, failures can and do occur. Weeds may escape chemical treatments for several reasons including: the selection...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
It's getting hot and dry in the Central Valley and the movement of equipment in and out of fields/orchards/vineyards has the potential to stir up a significant amount of dust. Among its other impacts to agriculture (soil erosion, tissue damage, reduced photosynthesis, etc...), wind blown dust can reduce the efficacy of glyphosate, which is an important tool for the management of weeds in trees and vines, along rights-of-ways, and in glyphosate-tolerant agronomic crops (e.g. corn, cotton, alfalfa) in CA.
The adoption of glyphosate has been facilitated, at least in part, by it's relative lack of soil activity (Miller et al. 2013; Zhou et al. 2006). Glyphosate can become tightly adsorbed to soil...
- Author: Brad Hanson
Pop quiz.
Today's post is a) long, b) recycled from another use, c) of high interest due to current weather conditions, or d) all of the above? The correct answer, I think, is "D" all of the above.
As an aside, the length of this post reminds me of one of my favorite Mark Twain quotes " I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead" - there's a lot of truth in that.
Ok, this is actually an article I prepared for the meeting booklet for the Plant...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
Irrigation is crucial for the production of melons in California. It facilitates seed germination, it is essential for crop growth and fruit production, and, for growers that apply pre-emergence herbicides, it is necessary for product activation.
Pre-plant irrigation (pre-irrigation) is used to develop an optimal planting bed for the crop, however, it can also stimulate weed seed germination. Knowing this, growers must be prepared to use pre-emergence (i.e. soil-applied, residual herbicides) or post-emergence (i.e. flaming, or foliar-applied herbicides) to reduce crop-weed competition. Early weed control is important; to maximize crop yields, young melons should remain weed-free for up to eight...
- Author: Lynn M. Sosnoskie
- Author: Brad Hanson
- Author: Ted Webster
- Author: Stanley Culpepper
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Talking Points:
Weed control failures can and do occur.
Weed control failures occur for many reasons, including improper treatment applications and plant size and development at the time of treatment.
Plants that aren't completely controlled can produce viable seed and re-infest fields.
Insufficient control of herbicide-resistant weeds could facilitate the establishment and spread of undesirable traits.
Introduction:
Weed pressure, and the resulting competition for water and nutrients, can significantly impact crop establishment, growth, yield and harvest. Furthermore, there is some concern among growers that non-managed weeds may support...