NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Warren Bendixen, Strawberries/Soils and Water Farm Advisor

Weedy areas seem harmless, but birds, animals, water, wind, and farm implements can carry weed seeds into the cropland. The worst weedy area will be the cropland near the source of weed infestations.

Weedy areas may be disked or sprayed with herbicides. The cleanup program must be continued each year to prevent weeds from reseeding the cropland. The following year should become easier and the expense lower.

Effective and economical weed control in cropland also requires advanced and continuous planning. Control practices are cheaper in some crops than others, therefore, an intensified effort should be made to control all the weeds in the crops when the cost is cheaper.

The use of herbicides needs to be planned for the rotation of several crops to prevent injury since some herbicides may last for more than one crop. Also some herbicides are better for controlling certain weeds than others.

Many weeds are host plants to the cyst nematode. Among the host weeds are mustards, sowbane, black nightshade, knotweed, curly dock, pigweed, parslane, shepherd’s purse, chickweed, and wild radish.

The cyst nematode stunts plant and root growth or kills plants by attacking the roots. Once this pest is established in a field, crop rotation can help control the nematode by starving the newly hatched nematode larvae. If the larvae do not have a susceptible host plant to feed on, they starve. The nematode cannot eradicated, the population can only be reduced by normal crop rotation because the egg cysts can remain dormant for many years.

The cyst nematode attacks many crops including the following: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, radish, spinach, Swiss chard, table beets, sugar beets, turnips, and tomatoes.

Weed susceptibility to herbicides charts are available from the Extension office (805/934-6240).