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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #122915
Title: RESPONSE OF SQUASH AND CUCUMBER CULTIVARS TO HALOSULFURON.

Author
item Webster, Theodore
item CULPEPPER, A - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item Johnson, Wiley - Carroll

Submitted to: Weed Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2002
Publication Date: 1/1/2003
Citation: Webster, T.M. Culpepper, A.S., Johnson, W.C. 2003. Response of squash and cucumber cultivars to halosulfuron. Weed Technology. 17:173-176.

Interpretive Summary: Methyl bromide is an effective soil fumigant used to control weeds, diseases, insects, and nematodes prior to planting many vegetable crops. However, methyl bromide has also been implicated in reducing the ozone layer, and thus its use is scheduled to be eliminated in 2005. One potential methyl bromide alternative for weed management is halosulfuron. Halosulfuron controls nutsedge species, the primary weed problems in vegetable systems. This herbicide has not been previously evaluated for crop safety across multiple cucumber and squash cultivars. Results indicated that cucumber were more tolerant of halosulfuron than squash. Transplant cucumber and squash were also more tolerant of halosulfuron than direct-seeded cucumber and squash. Cucumber plant weight was not affected by application method (preemergence or postemergence). This study indicates that squash response to halosulfuron is variable, but that this herbicide may provide an alternative to methyl bromide for managing nutsedge species in cucumber production.

Technical Abstract: Halosulfuron controls nutsedge species, the primary weed problems in plasticulture systems, but little is known about cucurbit tolerance to this herbicide. Greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate tolerance to halosulfuron of several squash and cucumber cultivars commonly grown in Georgia. Treatments were arranged as a factorial that included planting method, application method, and halosulfuron rate. Each treatment was applied to 12 different cucurbit cultivars. Cucumber appeared to be more tolerant of halosulfuron than squash. Averaged over application method and halosulfuron rate, cucumber was injured 9 to 14% compared to 14 to 21% injury of squash. Transplant cucurbits were also more tolerant of halosulfuron than direct- seeded cucurbits. Blooms on squash plants were reduced with increasing rates of halosulfuron. Preemergence halosulfuron treatments reduced the number of direct-seeded squash blooms to 0.6 per plant, relative to the 3.1 blooms per plant in the nontreated control. For transplant squash, all treatments had a similar number of blooms to the nontreated control. This study demonstrates that while there is some variability in halosulfuron tolerance among the tested cucurbit cultivars (especially for squash), as well as halosulfuron rates and application methods, in general halosulfuron may be a viable alternative to methyl bromide for control of nutsedges in a cucumber plasticulture system.