Vol. 15—1961 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

249,
EFFECTOF HERBICIDESONSEEDPRODUCTION IN BIRDSFOOTREFOILI
T. R. Flanagan 2
.The use ofb.irdsfoot. tliefo i I .. lotus. corn~cutatus (l.) .. has increased
rapic!ly' in theNDrt~e.st ~ur'inri the last few yeirs •. ·This- is especially
true of Vs use; es a cash seed crop •
. Most recent'is'the increase in grower awareness of the multiple
problems associated with pest control in seed production fields. Predominant
~iHlIwn9 the;"a"y·,hazards are insect and plaAt pests. The\ problems
associated with thef~mer hav~ been t~e sUbject.of a recent study at this
station C'). .
.
Plant pest ~ontrol encomp.$.. s~hweed control at seeding, and the
control of unwantectpfants i'nthe estabHshed seed production fields. Such
plants are compet:itive grasses, noxi9Us and other we,Os, and extraneous
forage plants contributing foreign seed which must be cleaned out of the
final harvest, often at a consider~ble loss in shrinkage of seed yield.
It is the control of these undesirable plants that is the SUbject of this
paper. ~.
Da!~pon has bee~. in gener,t use, i~ the northeast to control grasses
and alsike clover in trefoi I seed fields. Some use has been made of the
phenoxyacetics and phenoxybutyrics for broedleaf plant control~, Fertig
et al.(I) concluded from the 1958and 1959studies of the experimental
work in Essex County, NewYork, that late fall treatments were definitely
safer with regard.~o trefoi.1 injury th.n spring appl ications .. and that
EmpJr~WaS more tol.erant than European type trefoi I (Viking). Applications
of QE)nd.9. pounds per .acre; act.l v~ of 4- (2.4-08) were on Iy moderate Iy
effecti ye.Qn dande I ion .. chi c.ory;and ye tlow- rocket. At these rates ..