Vol. 16—1962 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

265
STRAWBERRY HERBICIDEINVESTIGATIONSFOR 1961.
Oscar E. Schubert l
The 1960 strawberry herbicide investigations for a combination of
herbicides to control weeds witb a minimum of hand-""eding wel'e continued
in 1961.
Experiment 1
Catskill· strawberry plants were set in early Ap#l J 1960, and weeded by
hand-hoeing and a rotary cultivator until June 19 .. On June 20-21, and on
July 21, seven herbicides, or combinations thereOf, were applied at ran40m to
four replicated plots (9 feet wide and 12 feet long). Information about
average weed weights, kind of weeds controlled, and :number of runner plants
formed during the first season I s grOwthwere reporte!d (1).
It was not entirely feasible to fulfill one of the original purposes of
the experiment--to determine if herbicides alone co\U.d be used for adequate
weed control without any additional hand-weeding--si!1ce the weeds had to be
removed for weighing. In Treatments 2 and 6, the ~tity of weeds removed
last year was small (0.43 and 1. 45 pounds per plot c.ompared with 112 pounds
in the non-hoed check plot) so these treatments may ~pproach the goal.
On September 28-29, 1960, ~bout three weeks after weeds were removed
and weighed, the plots were divided .into three SUbplots (4 feet wide and 9
feet long). Two subplots in each plot were treated /3otrandom with
additional herbicides on September 28-29 and/or November 4, 1960. The
entire series of treatments are pres.ented in Table L
The planting was mulched with 'ltheat straw in ear~y December. The
strawberry plants came through the light covering of'mulch the following
spring; therefore, it was not necessary to remove th,mulch.
On June 14, 1961, careful observations were m~ in all the plots
regarding plant vigor, stand, berry size and set, ~ possible herbicide
injury. The vigor of each SUbplot was estimated as a percentage of the most
vigorous hoed-check plants (rated as 100). The aver~e per cent vigor of the
two subplots which were treated in September and/or ~ember is given for
each treatment in ·Table 2. The analysis of variance and all comparisons
among means were computed on the percentage data after the percentages were
transformed to angles (angle .. arcstiJ. Jpercentage). .
lHorticulturist, West Virginia University. The cooperatiq~ of the following
companies in supp,lying the herbicides used in these i inveis:tigations is
gratefully acknowledged: Amchem'Products, Inc., Diamond Alkali Company,
Geigy Chemical Corporation, Niagara Chemical Division of Food Machinery
and Chemical Corporation, and Stauffer Chemical com.;e.riy. The author also
wishes to acknowledge a grant in aid from the Geigy Chemical Corporation
which partially supported this work.