WEED CONTROL IN CRANBERRIES

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0224055
• Project Start Date: Nov 1, 2010
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2014
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
RUTGERS, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW JERSEY
3 RUTGERS PLZA
NEW BRUNSWICK,NJ 08901-8559

Performing Department
Plant Biology

Non Technical Summary
Summary: Weeds, particularly perennials, are difficult to control in cranberry bogs. Clopyralid is a new herbicide that has been registered for use and is being used for weed control in cranberries. Clopyralid effectively controls legume and composite weeds. Clopyralid has been used prior to registration under a section 18 Emergency Exemption in New Jersey cranberries wild bean Apios americana control. Research has indicated that cranberry tolerance to clopyralid and other experimental herbicides depends on application rate and time of application. Growers observed control of other composite and legume weeds, in addition to wild bean in treated bogs, including fireweed Erechtites hieracifolia and beggar-ticks Bidens frodosa. Field research will be conducted to develop information needed to expand the list of weeds controlled with clopyralid, and determine the optimum herbicide rate and time of application. Weed species in addition to wild bean that clopyralid has the potential to control includes fireweed, beggars-ticks, goldenrod Solidago species, and aster Aster species. In recent years, pronamide, marketed under the trade name of Kerb, has been used for dodder control with section 18 Emergency Exemptions. Pronamide will no longer be available for the control of dodder in cranberries. Research to identify alternative dodder control measures is a priority. Screening to identify additional herbicides with the potential to control weeds in cranberries will continue when new chemistry becomes available. Phytotoxicity and efficacy of labeled and experimental herbicides will be evaluated on newly established cranberry beds. Plots will be treated annually and followed through the first harvest to determine the affect of weed control on establishment and yield.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
205	1121	1140	10%
213	1121	1140	90%

Knowledge Area
205 - Plant Management Systems; 213 - Weeds Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1121 - Cranberry;

Field Of Science
1140 - Weed science;

Keywords

weeds

herbicides

cranberries

Goals / Objectives
Objectives: 1. Integrate effective herbicides into the current cranberry practices to improve the control of yellow loosestrife, sedges, and other weeds, prevent crop phytotoxicity, and maintain the longest practical preharvest interval. 2. Evaluate the phytotoxicity and efficacy herbicides with the potential to control dodder and other serious weeds in cranberries. 3. Screen herbicides registered on other crops and experimental herbicides for phytotoxicity to cranberries. 4. Evaluate herbicides on newly planted cranberry beds 5. Develop support for registration from the manufacturer(s) of herbicides with good potential for safely controlling weeds in cranberries. 6. Cooperate with IR-4, the herbicide manufacturers, and state and federal agencies to obtain registration for herbicides, including BAS 514 and DPX 6025 that are not phytotoxic to the crop, control troublesome weeds, and are environmentally and toxicologically safe. Expected Outputs: Research results will be used to improve weed control recommendations for growers, ensure effective weed control without crop injury, and to support section 18 Emergency Exemption requests, and eventually 24C Special Local Needs or Section 3 labels for effective herbicides in cranberries. Screening will identify additional herbicides useful in cranberry production. The availability of additional herbicides will result in reduced weed pressure, reduced cost of weed control, and increased yields for growers.

Project Methods
Methods: Troublesome cranberry weeds will be evaluated for control on sites with moderate to heavy uniform populations in cranberry bogs. Priority will be given to local weed problems with national significance; however, local and regional weed problems will be researched when potential herbicides are identified as safe for use on the crop. Initial efforts will concentrate on the control of dodder, legume and composite weeds, yellow loosestrife, and sedges. Clopyralid is known to be effective for the control of legume and composite weeds. A Section 18 Emergency Label for pronamide will no longer be granted for use in cranberries. BAS 514 has been effective for the control of yellow loosestrife and other cranberry weeds, and has been identified as non-phytotoxic to cranberries. DPX 6025 has been identified as potentially safe for use in cranberries and have the potential to suppress or control sedges Cyperus species. Callisto has shown potential as dodder, sedge, rush, and redroot (paint-root) herbicide with excellent crop safety in cranberries. Preliminary research has indicated that EL 152, a herbicide used to control dodder in alfalfa and carrots, can safely be applied in the spring as granular formulation after the winter flood has been removed but before bud swell. Additional data is needed to evaluate EL 152, Callisto, BAS 514 and other herbicides for crop safety and dodder control in cranberries. For the experimental herbicides with the potential to control yellow loosestrife sedges, rushes, and redroot the rate, time of year the treatment is applied, and the method of application will be evaluated. The use pattern, which provides maximum weed control, crop safety, and environmental and toxicological safety, will be determined. The affects of tank-mixes will be evaluated. Field evaluations of herbicides for phytotoxicity to cranberries will be conducted at Rutgers Cranberry and Blueberry Research Center, Chatsworth, New Jersey. Field experiments will be evaluated for crop injury and yield for two growing seasons after treatment. All experiments will be replicated and statistically analyzed. Results will be presented at the American Cranberry growers Association Workshop and at regional and national weed science meetings.

Progress 11/01/10 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences are cranberry researchers, extension agents, and commercial cranberry growers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results of previous research were presented at winter meetings, summer twilight meetings, and at a summer field day. Growers’ questions were answered by phone and field (bog) visits were conducted when requested by growers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Field studies were conducted to evaluate efficacy and potential phytotoxicity of new herbicides for use on newly planted and established bearing cranberries. New herbicides, including mesotrione (Callisto 4SC) and quinclorac (Quinstar 4L) were registered for use in cranberries, and extension agents and commercial growers were instructed on the safe and effective use of these products. One grower reported that cranberry yields rose from 50 to 80 barrels per acre to over 150 barrels per acre as a result of improved weed control. Special effort was made to improve the control of weeds in newly planted cranberry bogs, where weeds slowed the establishment of the crop. A large grower reported that the time between planting a new bog and the first commercial harvest was reduced from 4 to 5 years to less than 2 years due to improved weed control. This improvement in the time line for bringing new bogs into production has been due to growers adopting the use of mesotrione and quinclorac in new non-bearing cranberry bogs.

Publications

Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience was NJ cranberry growers, processors, and county extension faculty. Changes/Problems: Field (bog) research with a very promising newly labeled herbicide, Quinstar 4L (quinclorac) was suspended due to a lack of a tolerance in Europe which would jepordize the grower cooperative's export market. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Research has resulted in weed control recommendations for NJ cranberry growers. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results ahve been disseminated through printed recommendations, newletters, presentations to growers at winter meetings, and bog demonstrations at summer meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Additional herbicides and herbicide combinations will be evaluated to efficacy and phytotoxicity, and research with quinclorac will be resumed when the European export tolerance has been established.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Herbicides, including indaziflam and two formulations of diclobenil, were evaluated for crop safety and efficacy for the control of redroot in cranberries. Indaziflam injured cranberries in past studies when applied during active growth, but the herbicide did not injure cranberries when applied in early spring soon after the winter flood was removed. Results in 2013 confirmed that indaziflam could be applied to cranberries safely in early spring, and important since indaziflam has been shown to control dodder. Growers have also expressed interest in using the new liquid formulation of diclobenil instead of the older labeled 4G (granular) formulation. Results in 2013 again confirmed previous research that indicated that the liquid diclobenil formulation is not as safe as the 4G formulation on cranberries. In addition, the liquid formulation was less effective controlling redroot than the granular formulation.

Publications

Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Weeds, particularly perennials, are difficult to control in cranberry bogs. Herbicides recently registered for use control a variety of weeds for which no control was previously available, including wild bean Apios americana, fireweed Erechtites hieracifolia, beggar-ticks Bidens frodosa, goldenrod Solidago species, and aster Aster species. Other weeds, including dodder Cuscuta species, yellow loosestrife (swampcandle) Lysimachia terrestris, and woody perrennials such as red maple Acer rubrum. Screening to identify additional herbicides with the potential to control weeds in cranberries will continue when new chemistry becomes available. Phytotoxicity and efficacy of labeled and experimental herbicides will be evaluated on newly established cranberry beds. Plots will be treated annually and followed through the first harvest to determine the affect of weed control on establishment and yield. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Weed research at Rutgers Blueberry and Cranberry Research Center, Chatsworth, New Jersey, evaluated a new experimental herbicide, BCS-AA10717, from Bayer. The new Bayer herbicide did not injure cranberries when applied in early spring before any new growth was evident, but slight injury was observed when cranberries were treated after buds began to swell in May. Previous work indicated that cranberries were injured when treatment was delayed until after the growing season had begun. This herbicide has provided excellent weed control in tree fruit studies, and is similar to Casoron in chemical structure. A study was initiated in 2012 to determine the safety of BCS-AA10717 to cranberries when applied in the spring after the winter flood was removed up to when new growth is initiated. in a separate study a new UV protected formulation of napropamide was evaluated on newly planted cranberries. Studies with quinclorac were canceled when Ocean Spray Inc reversed an earlier decision to allow their growers to use the herbicide due to complications with exports to Europe.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Weed research at Rutgers Blueberry and Cranberry Research Center, Chatsworth, New Jersey, evaluated a new experimental herbicide, BCS-AA10717, from Bayer. The new Bayer herbicide did not injure cranberries when applied in early spring before any new growth was evident, but slight injury was observed when cranberries were treated after buds began to swell in May. Previous work indicated that cranberries were injured when treatment was delayed until after the growing season had begun. This herbicide has provided excellent weed control in tree fruit studies, and is similar to Casoron in chemical structure. Additional research is needed on BCS-AA10717 to determine its weed control potential in cranberries. A study was initiated in 2011 to evaluate the affect of time of application of glyphosate as a wipe for the control of red maple Acer rubrum L. Red maple seedlings were treated with a glyphosate wipe, beginning in early July with treatments continuing bi-weekly through mid Septmeber. The results will be evaluated in 2012. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Weeds, particularly perennials, are difficult to control in cranberry bogs. Herbicides recently registered for use control a variety of weeds for which no control was previously available, including wild bean Apios americana, fireweed Erechtites hieracifolia, beggar-ticks Bidens frodosa, goldenrod Solidago species, and aster Aster species. Other weeds, including dodder Cuscuta species, yellow loosestrife (swampcandle) Lysimachia terrestris, and woody perrennials such as red maple Acer rubrum. Screening to identify additional herbicides with the potential to control weeds in cranberries will continue when new chemistry becomes available. Phytotoxicity and efficacy of labeled and experimental herbicides will be evaluated on newly established cranberry beds. Plots will be treated annually and followed through the first harvest to determine the effect of weed control on establishment and yield.

Publications

• No publications reported this period