This time of year, my email inbox and phone text messages are filled with ugly photos of fruit and vegetable crops affected by suspected herbicide exposure. Sometimes the symptomology points toward a clear cause and effect, but most of the time the answer is not so clear-cut. Here are a couple recent examples: Cupping and[Read More…]
Stephen Meyers
What is Optogen®? The active ingredient in Optogen® (Figure 1) is bicyclopyrone. Corn growers may recognize bicyclopyrone as one of the four herbicide ingredients in Acuron® herbicide. Bicyclopyrone is a Group 27 herbicide with both pre-emergence and post-emergence activity on select weed species. Group 27 herbicides inhibit an enzyme known as “HPPD”, resulting in an[Read More…]
Dacthal® flowable herbicide is currently produced by AMVAC Chemical Corporation and registered for use in numerous vegetable crops (Midwest Vegetable Production Guide (mwveguide.org)) and strawberry. It provides pre-emergence control of small-seed broadleaf weeds and grasses. Dacthal herbicide contains the active ingredient DCPA. On April 28, 2022 the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice[Read More…]
Historically Stinger® herbicide application in Indiana strawberries was limited to post-harvest. A new 24(c) Special Local Needs Label now includes a spring application (Figure 1). Why does it matter? A spring application of Stinger® will help to manage certain difficult-to-control broadleaf weeds in the spring. This will reduce reliance on hand-weeding, reduce competition between[Read More…]
If you use the herbicides Valor® or Chateau®, you may notice a change with your next jug. Valent U.S.A. Corporation is phasing out production of Valor SX and Chateau SW, both water soluble granule formulations. The new liquid formulations are called Valor EZ and Chateau EZ. While the granular formations contain 51% of the active[Read More…]
A special project group of the North Central Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center wants to learn about your concerns and experiences with herbicide drift. The group is surveying growers of fruits, vegetables, and other specialty crops in the upper Midwest. To truly understand the frequency, severity, and economic impact of herbicide drift on specialty crops,[Read More…]
Dicamba has been in the headlines the last two weeks. In case you’ve missed it, here are the highlights: On June 3 the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency and its 2018 registration of over-the-top dicamba products Xtend, Engenia, and FeXapan and vacated their registrations. The[Read More…]
In perennial fruit crops, the orchard or vineyard floor is often divided into two distinct zones. Within the planted row portion of the field, weeds are managed- typically with herbicides. The between-row spaces or “row middles” consist of planted grass or native vegetation and facilitate the travel of equipment. Determining where the two zones meet[Read More…]
The newest version of the SelectMax® herbicide label includes a change relevant to the state’s fruit growers. Previously limited to applications in non-bearing pome fruit crops, the newest label allows applications to be made to bearing pome fruits. The active ingredient in SelectMax® is clethodim, one of the commonly used grass-selective herbicides. Pome crops covered[Read More…]
Dual Magnum is registered for use in numerous row crops and specialty crops in the state of Indiana. While some vegetable crops (beans, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, rhubarb, and tomatoes) appear on the specimen or national label (Section 3 label), fruit crops do not. Numerous specialty crops that do not appear on the specimen label are[Read More…]