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Title: Non-pungent jalapeno peppers: Corn gluten meal as an organic herbicide

Author
item Webber Iii, Charles
item Russo, Vincent
item SHERFLER, JAMES - OSU, LANE, OK

Submitted to: Oklahoma Agriculture Experiment Station Departmental Publication
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2006
Publication Date: 6/1/2006
Citation: Webber III, C.L., Russo, V.M., Sherfler, J.W. 2006. Non-pungent jalapeno peppers: Corn gluten meal as an organic herbicide. 2005 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. 23-24.

Interpretive Summary: Non-pungent jalapeno peppers are used for making commercial picante sauces (salsas). Weed control is often the chief complaint concerning pepper production. The lack of weed control increases the time and difficulty of harvesting the crop, and can result in a near or total yield loss. Corn gluten meal (CGM), as a preemergence and preplant-incorporated herbicide, has shown success as an organic weed control method in summer squash. Additional information is needed to determine if CGM can be successfully used in pepper production. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of corn gluten meal applications on non-pungent jalapeno pepper yields. A field study was conducted during the summer of 2005 at Lane, OK with transplanted non-pungent jalapeno peppers (Pace 105). The factorial research involved four weed control levels (7.5 lb/ft**2 CGM, 15 lb/100 ft**2 CGM, a weed-free, and a weedy-check) and two incorporation factors (incorporated and non-incorporated). The plants were harvested on July 20, 2005, 75 days after transplanting. Although there were initial reductions in weed densities as a result of CGM applications, there were no observable reductions in weed densities or differences at harvest compared to the weedy-check treatments. Marketable and non-marketable pepper yields and numbers reflected the final weed densities with no significant differences between the CGM treatments and the weedy checks. Marketable yields were greater for the weed-free, non-incorporated treatment, compared to weed-free, incorporated, treatment. Pepper yields and number were always significantly greater for the weed-free treatments compared to the other weed control treatments. The research indicates that corn gluten meal was not as affective in controlling weeds when applied in the earlier planted non-pungent jalapeno peppers compared to previous research with summer squash. The differences in weed control between the two cropping systems may be an indication of a decrease potency of CGM in a high moisture spring planting situations versus drier summer planting systems. Additional will be conducted to determine the impact of soil moisture on weed control with CGM.

Technical Abstract: Non-pungent jalapeno peppers are used for making commercial picante sauces (salsas). Weed control is often the chief complaint concerning pepper production. The lack of weed control increases the time and difficulty of harvesting the crop, and can result in a near or total yield loss. Corn gluten meal (CGM), as a preemergence and preplant-incorporated herbicide, has shown success as an organic weed control method in summer squash. Additional information is needed to determine if CGM can be successfully used in pepper production. The objective of this research was to determine the impact of corn gluten meal applications on non-pungent jalapeno pepper yields. A field study was conducted during the summer of 2005 at Lane, OK with transplanted non-pungent jalapeno peppers (Pace 105). The factorial research involved four weed control levels (7.5 lb/ft**2 CGM, 15 lb/100 ft**2 CGM, a weed-free, and a weedy-check) and two incorporation factors (incorporated and non-incorporated). The plants were harvested on July 20, 2005, 75 days after transplanting (May 6). Although there were initial reductions in weed densities as a result of CGM applications, there were no observable reductions in weed densities or differences at harvest compared to the weedy-check treatments. Marketable and non-marketable pepper yields and numbers reflected the final weed densities with no significant differences between the CGM treatments and the weedy checks. Marketable yields were greater for the weed-free, non-incorporated treatment (7.0 t/a), compared to weed-free, incorporated, treatment (5.7 t/a). Pepper yields and number were always significantly greater for the weed-free treatments (6.3 t/a and 197,000 peppers/a) compared to the other weed control treatments. The research indicates that corn gluten meal was not as affective in controlling weeds when applied in the earlier planted non-pungent jalapeno peppers compared to previous research with summer squash. The differences in weed control between the two cropping systems may be an indication of a decrease potency of CGM in a high moisture spring planting situations versus drier summer planting systems. Additional will be conducted to determine the impact of soil moisture on weed control with CGM.