Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
G022 MCCARTY HALL
GAINESVILLE,FL 32611
Performing Department
Everglades Research and Education Center
Non Technical Summary
Sugarcane is the main row crop in Florida cultivated on 161,000 ha with an estimated value of more than $2 billion. Weed management is a major cost associated with sugarcane production in Florida, with chemical control being the main component. Sugarcane growers extensively use herbicides for weed control in the crop, but still report weed persistence and yield reduction from weed interference. In addition, the perennial nature of sugarcane, its long production cycle, and rotation with grass crops have resulted in heavy pressure of mostly annual and perennial grass weeds in the crop. Research and extension efforts are needed to provide sugarcane growers with economically viable weed management options to sustain and enable expansion of sugarcane production in Florida. The research effort is needed to address evaluation of new herbicide options for weed control, proper timing of herbicide application, and better understanding of weed-crop and herbicide-soil interactions in order to provide the foundation for planning effective weed management strategies in sugarcane. Sugarcane is cultivated in rotation with vegetables and rice on more than 32,000 ha. These crops are grown in rotation with sugarcane during the fallow period and fill an essential niche market in the eastern United States during the winter season. The main vegetables include sweet corn, leafy vegetables, snap beans, celery, and radish which require intensive management practices for profitability. Weed management is a major cost associated with vegetable production in the region particularly for leafy vegetables. However, efficacious weed management in leafy vegetables is limited by lack of efficacious herbicides mostly for broadleaf weed management. Presently, there are limited herbicides registered for selective broadleaf weed control in leafy vegetables. Weed control by these herbicides can be erratic resulting in use of expensive hand labor based on a migrant workforce to supplement herbicide weed control programs. Therefore, there is a need for additional weed management options that can provide selective and consistent weed control to enhance productivity and profitability of vegetable production in the region.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
60%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
The main goal of the project is to develop efficacious weed management programs for sugarcane and vegetables on organic soils in the Everglades Agricultural Area and surrounding mineral soils in south Florida. The objectives of the project include:1. Evaluating the effect of incorporation on field dissipation of pendimethalin and S-metolachlor and residual fall panicum and other grass control on organic soils used for sugarcane cultivation in Florida.2. Determining the effect of temperature on the efficacy of asulam on fall panicum control in sugarcane.3. Determining the effect of water quality on the efficacy of asulam on fall panicum control in sugarcane.4. Determining sugarcane tolerance and efficacy of topramezone and triazine herbicides applied alone or in combination.5. Determining the effect of topramezone and asulam on sugarcane and fall panicum control under different levels of water stress on organic and mineral soil to simulate dry conditions associated with early season sugarcane growth in Florida.6. Evaluating the efficacy and leafy vegetable tolerance to flumetsulam applied preemergence or postemergence.
Project Methods
The project will be conducted using field, greenhouse, growth chamber and laboratory experiments mainly at the Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade, Florida and the surrounding area. Experiments will be set up using standard experimental designs including randomized complete block, completely randomized, and factorial designs with at least four replications and repeated in time or space. Data will be analyzed using R or SAS and interpreted to make biological sense. Field demonstrations, training workshops or meetings, and publications will be used to convey information to target audiences and any changes in knowledge gain and adoption of new practices will be determined using surveys.Output from the project will be measured as number of growers adopting a practice, number of acres using any new herbicide registered for the crops based on recommendations from the project, and any cost savings on a per acre basis associated with adopting a new practice or herbicide.