Vol. 16—1962 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

WEEDCONTROL IN.STRAWBERRIES WI'DIEITAH,
NEBURON, TRIEWINE ANDZY~
Jolin S.
8&11ey2
In the northeast strawberry fi.1ds are cu.tomari1y fruited only onc.. One
of the chief reasons for this i. the failure of growers to keep weeds under
control. The use of Sesone haa helped but under 'CllII8condition. results. bave
been d1sappointing. Several other chemicals have been tried but none bas been
widely used (1,2,3,5,6). Therefore, the search for a better weed control
chemical for use in strawberry fields continues.
Materials
and Method.
In mid-April, 1960, virus~frea plants of the variety Surecrop were s.t in
plots 5 feet by 12 f.et. The mother plants were s.t2 feet apart, 5 to a plot
and allowed to form matted rows. The materials t ..... d and rates per acre w.re
as follows: Eptam 51 granular at 2 and 4 pounds; NeburoD 18.5~ W.P. at: 1 and
2 pounds; Trietadne 50%W.P. at 2 and 4 pounds and Zytron 25%on clay at 10
and 20 pound.. Each treatment was replicated four time.. .
The plot. were hoed and cultivated until June 10 so that the plants would
be thoroughly established before any treatments were applied. On June 10,
after thorough cultivation and hoeing the Trietaaine and Neburon were sprayed
over the plots using one pint of wat.r per plot. On June 13 the Eptam and
Zytron for each plot was mixed with a double handful of dry •• nd and broadcast
by band. The•• two material. were then cultivated in lightly with an
iron rake.
By mid-July some of the plots were getting very weedy, especially the
untreated plots. Therefore, all the weeds on each,lotwere counted. S1Dce.
very little gra.s appeared in any of the plots at t~s time or later, all the
data will cover broadleaf weeds Oh1y. Those present were mostly purslan.,
Portulaca 01er~5~; red root pigweed, Amarant~~lt retroflexusj 1ambsquarters,
~~~ ~j and smartweed, Po1ygonumhydropiper.
After the weed counts were made all plots were thoroughly cultivated,
hoed and on July 26 and 27 all plots were re-treated.
By September 23 some plots had become very weedy again. Therefore, the
plot. in each block were ranked for weed population so that the results could
be tested statistically by the rankit method (4). The most abundant weed at
this t~e was commonchickweed, Stellaria media. After the ranking all plots
were cultivated and hoed and no more chemi~applied either in the fall or
lContribution No. 1328 of the Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station.
University of Ma.sacbusetts, Amherst. Mals.
2Associate Professor of Pomology. Department of Horticulture, University of
Ma.. achu.etts.