PCC Nov/Dec 2019

ICIDE EC
VINEYARD REVIEW
Continued from Page 26
of your vines, there’s no telling
whether or not the spray chemicals
are making it into the soil and reaching
the weeds, or if they’re getting
stuck and then washing away.
According to Hembree, if the field is
clean and the proper spray timings are
followed, the rest of any weed management
program will fall into place.
This is especially true for organic
FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTION
clusters, a too-lax weed management
vineyards, as trying to rein in weeds
from an organic standpoint is very
challenging. This becomes trickier
because available options are much
more limited, but organic growers who
dedicate the right equipment, manpower,
and timing can do just as well.
Doing nothing—in both organic and
conventional—is a recipe for disaster,
and can wreak havoc on the crop, the
harvest crew, and the bottom line.
Using raisin grapes again as an example,
tall horseweeds or prickly lettuce
®
can overrun a vineyard, which can
also bring white flies and leaf hoppers.
Combine this with an angry crew that
has to fight with weeds to hunt for
system will have weeds seeds nestled
in the folds of raisins and will, therefore,
result in a contaminated crop.
“I’ve seen weeds seeds end up in
the trays, and I’ve seen loads get
rejected from overseas because
of them,” says Hembree.
Growers who are vigilant about their
weed management program will benefit
greatly because of it. Both pre-plant
and post-plant options are available
to control weeds in vineyards.
HERBICIDE EC
SUPPRESS ® Herbicide EC is a broad spectrum contact
herbicide for post-emergent, non-selective weed control.
HERBICIDE EC
◊ Provides fast and effective burndown
◊ Excellent tool in IPM programs
◊ Helps break chemical resistance
◊ Zero pre-harvest interval (PHI)
◊ Safe for pollinators and beneficials
◊ Non-volatile, emulsifiable concentrate
72 hours
post-application
Your Partner for an Effective
Weed Control Program
◊ Approved for certified organic crop production
Pre-Plant Options
Preparing the soil prior to planting a
new vineyard is a great time to initiate
a solid weed management regiment.
FOR
For one,
ORGANIC
controlling weeds
PRODUCTI
at this stage
is critical because of the competition
for resources that can happen if weeds
are present during the planting of
vines. An irrigation program that
supports weed seed germination, which
is then followed by tillage to uproot
these new seedlings, can help greatly
reduce the presence of weeds. There’s
also the option of burying seeds even
further beneath the ground, preventing
them from sprouting at all. However,
a drawback of this is that the soil
shouldn’t be tilled for about four years,
otherwise the seeds might be brought
back to the surface and germinate.
There is also the option of laying
UV-inhibiting, clear plastic between
rows that are six feet wide and damp.
The longer the days, the better, and
this should be started no later than
late August in most California
regions to ensure that this process
can be completed within four to six
weeks, before the seasonal change.
Post-Plant Options
®
(800) 876-2767
www.westbridge.com
Most vineyards aren’t starting
anew when it comes to weed
Continued on Page 30
28 Progressive Crop Consultant November / December 2019