Honeydew weed control, Lane, OK, 2003 honeydew weed control with Sandea, Lane, OK

Authors: SHREFLER, J.W. - OSU, LANE, OK; Webber Iii, Charles; BRANDENBERGER, L. - OSU, STILLWATER, OK; WELLS, L. - OSU, STILLWATER, OK

Submitted to: Oklahoma Agriculture Experiment Station Departmental Publication
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2004
Publication Date: 2/2/2004
Citation: Shrefler, J., Webber III, C.L., Brandenberger, L., Wells, L. 2004. Honeydew weed control, Lane, OK, 2003 honeydew weed control with Sandea, Lane, OK. In: Brandenberger, L., Wells, L., editors. 2003 Vegetable Weed Control Studies. Oklahoma State University, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture. Stillwater, OK. MP-162. p. 7-8.

Interpretive Summary: Successfully production of honeydew melons requires the availability of affective herbicides that do not injury the crop. Yellow nutsedge, tumble pigweed, spiny pigweed, and cutleaf ground cherry are serious weeds in honeydew melons and other cucurbit crops within the Southern Plains region. These weeds reproduce prolifically, grow rapidly, and compete aggressively. Although black plastic mulch on planting beds can control most weeds, yellow nutsedge readily punctures the plastic mulch and aggressively competes with the crop. In 2003, weed control research for honeydew melons was conducted at Lane, Oklahoma to determine if halosulfuron would control yellow nutsedge growing through plastic mulch and other weeds growing between the mulched planting beds. The 'Honeybrew' variety honeydew melon was direct seeded on May 6, 2003 into raised beds covered with black plastic mulch. Plants were spaced 1 ft apart down the center of 2 ft wide beds with bed centers 6 ft apart. The research included 5 halosulfuron herbicide treatments and I untreated weedy-check. The 5 herbicide treatments included halosulfuron applied once at 0.032 lb ai/a, twice at 0.032 lb ai/a, once at 0.048 lb ai/a, twice at 0.048 lb ai/a, and once at 0.096 lb ai/a. All herbicide applications were applied over the top of weeds and crop, after the weeds and crops had emerged. At the time of applications, yellow nutsedge had penetrated the plastic mulch on the beds and the other weeds, primarily tumble pigweed, spiny pigweed, and cutleaf ground cherry, were limited to the open soil in the furrows between the covered plant beds. All treatments, except the weedy-check, provided essentially complete yellow nutsedge control (97% or better) by the second evaluation, 14 days after initial herbicide applications. Likewise, tumble and spiny pigweed were also controlled by all halosulfuron treatments. Cutleaf ground cherry was suppressed (58-85% control) by all halosulfuron treatments, but complete (99%) control was only obtained with the highest application rate (0.096 lb ai/a). Although initial evaluations, 6 to 34 days after herbicide applications, did indicate that all halosulfuron treatments caused minor (5' 26%) crop injury, no sign of crop injury were detected later and there were no honeydew yield reductions as a result of halosulfuron applications. The research determined that halosulfuron was safely applied to honeydew for affective control of yellow nutsedge, tumble pigweed, and spiny pigweed, while the highest application rate was required for acceptable (99%) control of cutleaf ground cherry.

Technical Abstract: Specialty melons have potential value as alternative crops for vegetable producers in the Southern Plains region. Successfully production of these crops requires the availability of efficacious weed control measures that are not injurious to the crop. This research was conducted to evaluate halosulfuron-methyl for use in controlling weeds in honeydew melons (Cucumus melo) grown with plastic mulch. Honeydew melon cv. 'Honeybrew' was direct seeded on May 6, 2003 into beds covered with black plastic mulch. Plants were spaced 1 ft apart down the center of 2 ft wide beds with bed centers 6 ft apart. The six experimental treatments included halosulfuron applied once at 0.032 lb ai/a, halosulfuron applied twice at 0.032 lb ai/a, halosulfuron applied once at 0.048 lb ai/a, halosulfuron applied twice at 0.048 lb ai/a, halosulfuron applied once at 0.096 lb ai/a, and a non-treated weedy-check. All applications were postemergence to the crop and weeds and applied with a CO2-pressurized four-nozzle hand-boom. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design replicated four times. At the time of applications, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus) had penetrated the plastic mulch on the beds and the other weeds, primarily tumble pigweed (Amaranthus albus), spiny pigweed (Amaranthus spinosus), and cutleaf ground cherry (Physalis angulata), were limited to the open soil in the furrows between the covered plant beds. All treatments, except the weedy-check, provided essentially complete yellow nutsedge control (97% or better) by the second evaluation, 14 days after initial herbicide applications. Likewise, tumble and spiny pigweed were also controlled by all halosulfuron treatments. Cutleaf ground cherry was suppressed (58-85% control) by all halosulfuron treatments, but complete (99%) control was only obtained with the highest application rate (0.096 lb ai/a). Although initial evaluations, 6 to 34 days after herbicide applications, did indicate that all halosulfuron treatments caused minor (5' 26%) crop injury, no sign of phytotoxicity were later detected and there were no honeydew yield reductions as a result of halosulfuron applications. The research determined that halosulfuron was safely applied to honeydew for affective control of yellow nutsedge, tumble pigweed, and spiny pigweed, while the highest rate was required for acceptable (99%) control of cutleaf ground cherry.