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Title: Organic weed control for cantaloupe methods comparison trial

Author
item SHREFLER, JAMES - Oklahoma State University
item Webber Iii, Charles
item TAYLOR, MERRITT - Oklahoma State University
item ROBERTS, WARREN - Oklahoma State University

Submitted to: Experiment Station Bulletins
Publication Type: Monograph
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2011
Publication Date: 2/1/2011
Citation: Shrefler, J.W., Webber III, C.L., Taylor, M., Roberts, W. 2011. Organic weed control for cantaloupe methods comparison trial. Experiment Station Bulletins. MP-162. p. 29-31.

Interpretive Summary: Effective weed control is needed for successful melon production. Synthetic herbicides that are available for non-organic melon production cannot be used in organic production. In addition to organic producers' needs, herbicide use is not always practical in many garden situations, whether organic or not. We compared several potential weed control alternatives in melons, including a variety of mulches and cultivation practices. In general, mulches provided greatest weed prevention. Early crop vigor was best with plastic mulch and landscape fabric treatments and corn gluten meal. Plastic mulch and landscape fabric treatments appeared to protect the recently emerged seedling from soil washing due to heavy rainfall. Corn gluten meal effects on vigor are unclear but may reflect the additional nitrogen provided by the CGM. Overall total yields were similar across treatments; however ,overall marketable yields differed for some treatments. Greatest total yields at the first harvest were obtained with mulch and landscape fabric treatments. For subsequent harvests, yield differences were not detected among treatments.

Technical Abstract: Effective weed control is needed for successful melon production. Synthetic herbicides that are available for non-organic melon production cannot be used in organic production. In addition to organic producers' needs, herbicide use is not always practical in many garden situations, whether organic or not. The research objective was to evaluate and compare several potential weed control alternatives in melons. The cultivar Caravel was direct-seeded 2 ft apart in rows spaced 6 ft apart on raised beds at the Lane Agriculture Center in southeast Oklahoma. Overhead irrigation was used immediately after planting and drip irrigation used as needed thereafter. Treatments included: 1) plastic mulch (black polyethylene), 2) landscape fabric (woven polypropylene), 3) cultivate as long as possible (tractor mounted rolling cultivator), 4) flame as long as possible, 5) Greenmatch herbicide (d-limonene) applied post-emergence, 6) corn gluten meal banded (bands along-side the untreated crop row) as pre-emergence herbicide, and 7) Matran herbicide (clove oil) applied post-emergence. Treatments 3-7 also included hand hoeing on an as-needed basis until vine growth prevented doing so without damaging vines. In general, mulches provided greatest weed prevention. Early crop vigor was best with plastic mulch and landscape fabric treatments and CGM. Plastic mulch and landscape fabric treatments appeared to protect the recently emerged seedling from soil washing due to heavy rainfall. Corn gluten meal effects on vigor are unclear but may reflect the additional nitrogen provided by the CGM. Overall total yields were similar across treatments, however overall marketable yields differed for some treatments. Greatest total yields at the first harvest were obtained with mulch and landscape fabric treatments. For subsequent harvests, yield differences were not detected among treatments.