Vol. 15—1961 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

78.
P~st-Transplanting and Lay-ByWeed Control
In Processing Tomatoes
Charles
H. Moran*
1,.,
Favoreble weather condi tiona in 1960 and the use" of new improved
varieties resulted in the highes~ average tomato yields ever obtained in
New Jersey. A record mean yield of tons per acre was estimated by the
Crop Repor..ting Service at the close of the season on October 1. The same
weather conditions also afforded.one of the better tests for herbicide effectiveness
experienced in recent years. Annual grasses, particularly
crabgrass, were the major weed competitors in commercial tomato fields.
The f:ollowing report presents the results of two series of experiments designed
to control these competitors chemically.
METHODSANDMATERIALS
Similar field experiments were established on a Downer loamy fine
sand and a Collington fine sandy loam near 'Moorestown, New Jer.sey.
Southern grown tomato plants of the variety 146 were planted in
the Downer and Collington soils May 11 and May14, respectively. Treatments
were replicated four times in randomized blocks. Each plot was 4 rows wide
x 20' long. Plants were spaced 2 feet apart in rows'which were" feet apart.
Harvest records were obtained from the center 2 rows.
At each location there wer~ two experiments. In the first, designated
as post-transplanting, the herbicides were broadcast within three weeks
of transplanting and no further treatments made. Check plots were, however,
kept weed free by hoeing until the time of lay-by. In the second experiment,
designated as lay-by, the plots were tractor cultivated and hand hoed as required
until spread of the vines stopped passage of the tractor.
The dates, rates of application and materials used in the four
experiments are shown in Table 1. Sprays were applied broadcast with a
single nozzle hand sprayer using the equivalent of 50 gallons of water per
acre. Granular materials were spread by means of a hand shaker.
Eptam was mixed with the surface soil by means of tractor cultivation.
The principal weeds on the Downer sand were crabgrass (Digitaria
sanguinalis (1) Scop), lambs-quarters (Cben0,podium album 1.), and pigweed
(Amaranthus retroflexus L.). Foxtail (SetarJ.a viridis (L) Beauv), bindweed
* Divisional Manager of Agricultural Research, Campbell Soup Company,
Riverton, New Jersey