ISHS Acta Horticulturae 318: II International Symposium on Specialty and Exotic Vegetable Crops
HERBICIDES AND SOIL SOLARIZATION FOR HERB PRODUCTION |
| Authors: | A.F. Senesac, D. Wilcox-Lee |
| Keywords: | basil, dill, marjoram, chive, thyme, stale seedbed |
| Abstract:
There is considerable interest among New York multi-crop vegetable growers in the production of herbs for roadside market sale. One of the greatest limitations to greater herb production is the almost complete lack of herbicides registered for use on some of the most popular herb species. Our goal was to evaluate crop safety of several herbicides on five herb species and to determine if a modifed soil solarization technique is feasible for these low acreage, but high value crops. Two field studies were conducted in 1991 on freshly fitted Riverhead sandy loam with a pH 5.7 and 2.0% O.M. Hardened plants of chive (Allium schoenoprasum L.), basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), dill (Anethum graveolens L.), marjoram (Origanum marjorana L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) were transplanted on 14 June 1991 into raised beds. The herbicide treatments and application timings were as follows: napropamide, posttransplant at 2.2 and 4.5 kg/ha, metolachlor, posttransplant at 1.7 and 3.4 kg/ha, oxyfluorfen, pretransplant at 0.28 and 0.56 kg/ha and sethoxydim, 28 days after planting at 0.45 and 1.1 kg/ha. Above ground fresh and dry weights were measured six weeks after planting. The results indicate that metolachlor caused significant yield reductions in thyme, margoram, basil and dill. Napropamide injured thyme only. Sethoxydim and oxyfluorfen were apparently safe on all five species at these rates. In another study, raised beds were formed on 20 May, 1991 and clear plastic (4 mil) was laid over some plots. The plastic was removed 20 days later and glyphosate was applied at 0.84 or 1.68 kg/ha. Three days later, the herbs were hand transplanted into these 'stale' beds with as little soil disturbance as possible. Soil | |
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (free software to read PDF files) | |
