Vol. 15—1961 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

232.
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Chemical Weed Control In Direct Seeded And Transplanted Brof!lcoli
S. L. Dallyn and R. L. Sawyer
Cornell University - Long'Island Vegetable Research Farm
The cole crops - cauliflower" broccoli, brussels' sprouts" and cabbage
have long been of major, importance in the agriculturiu. economy of .Long Island.
Tradi tiona:).ly they have. been grown primarily in the fall and with the trapsp1al,1t
system of culture. Both. these factors have favored· reasonably satisfacto~ weed
control with mechanical equipment plus, perhaps, one or two hand hoeings. in tb:e .
more weedy fields. Recently there has been a marked increase in production of
spring and sunmer cabbage and with it an increased weed problem. Also, interest
has risen in the possibilities of direct seeding as a method of reducing production
costs and labor requirement. This praotice would be effective only with
aVailability of an efficient herbicide.
This station has had a projeot on oole crop herbicides for approximately
15 years. Progress during the first ten was lind ted primarily to the conclusion
that these crops were alOOngthe most sensitive to herbicides then available. The
two materials CIFC and CD~ produced. the first encouraging results and more
recently a number of others have shown some promise - amDg them Eptam" Daothol,
and Amibin. As part of a pro ject on broocoli production the performance of a
number of herbicides on this crop was studied in 1960.
Methods: The experiments were conducted. on Sassafras loam with the variety
Waltham 29 used in both a direct seeded and a transplanted trial.
Plant spacing 'Was12 inohes in the row, 34 inches between rows. Plots of single,
20-foot rows were replicated three times. Principal weeds in the area were
annual grasses and pusley.
The direct seeded trial was planted June 22, treated immediately and
watered in with one-half inch of irrigation. The transplant trial was set in
the field August 1 and the Eptam applied and incorporated into fairly dry soil
on August 9. Rain, 0.6 inches, fell during the night of August 10 and the
remainder of the treatments were applied to moist soil the next day. On onehalf
of each plot receiving ~tauffer 2061 the material was incorporated into the
soil. Granulars were applied directly over the plants; the spr~s directed from
each side to overlap about one inch up the stem. Observations on weed control
and crop response were made at intervals ~uring the growing season. Both plantings
suffered some damage from the hurric~e on September 12. Harvest data were
taken on the center heads only. Harvest period for the direct seeded trial was
September 9 to October 25, for the transplanted Septenber 20 to October 31.
Results and Discussion: The data for the direct seeded trial are summarized in
table 1. Several of the treatments reduced crop stand.
A certain amount of chemical thinning might actually be an advantage if it
could be reliably controlled. Ar\Ythingwith a rating of .3.0 or over in this
catagory would be considered questionable, however, as there would always be the
1
Paper Ho. 445, Department of Vegetable Crops, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.