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Herbicides in Strawberries

FFVA was able to obtain a CUE (critical use exemption) for strawberry production in Florida for 2005.  This has reduced the crises that would have existed for herbicide use under the mulch for season long weed control in strawberry production in Florida.  The following is an update on herbicide labels for use in Florida and the work in progress to obtain more tools for weed management.

Available Labels

Napropamide (Devrinol 50 DF).now is labeled for preplant incorporation or preplant-water incorporated.  The previous label was for application post-plant. Devrinol is labeled for 4 lb ai/A under mulch. The herbicide will leach with all the irrigation use at the present time for stand establishment. Changes in irrigation timing and amounts need to be made for all herbicides to be effective under mulch.

Clethodim (Select) is labeled for control of emerged grasses.  This is the only post-grass herbicide labeled in Florida.

Terbacil (Sinbar) has a label for application under mulch for annual strawberries in Florida only.  Sinbar is not as leachable as Devrinol, but there is a 110 day preharvest interval on the use.

Oxyfluorfen (Goal) does not have a label for strawberries, but does have a stale seed-bed label and may be applied under mulch 30 days preplant.

Paraquat (Gramoxone Max, Gramoxone SuperTres, Cyclone Max) is labeled for preplant application to burn down emerged weeds and a directed shielded label for row middles.  None of the above products have a crop destruct label.  Boa, the product that had the crop destruct label had been discontinued.

Glyphosate (Roundup Original II, Roundup UltrMax, Roundup WeatherMax) have fallow labels, preplant labels and row middle application labels.

Work in Progress

Terbacil (Sinbar).  Residue studies are being carried out to reduce the preharvest interval to less than 110 days.  Two trials were carried out last year where harvest was 45 days from application, but the supplied herbicide did not meet EPA standards.  Two more trials will have to be redone this year to reduce the phi for Florida needs.

Oxyfluorfen (Goal).  A request has been submitted to the IR-4 committee from the southeastern states to obtain residues of Goal under mulch on annual strawberries at 5-7 days preplant.  The Goal formulation may also change from a 2XL to a 4F making the product less volatile.  Row middle residue trials have already been done.

Clopyralid (Stinger).  Residue trials on the use of Stinger in strawberries have been carried out.  Stinger is a growth regulator herbicide and is good for POST control of many broadleaf weeds, including vetch, black medic, and clovers as well as Carolina geranium and evening primrose.  Under some conditions, Stinger will deform flowers and fruit.  The preharvest interval on the labels in other states now is 30 days.  We have run residue tests in Florida for 3 and 7 days.  There is too much residue at 3 days, and we have not been informed on the 7 day phi.  Hopefully, chlopyralid will obtain labeling in the state this year.  The label on strawberries will have to be a third-party label if obtained.

Sulfentrazone  (Spartan) is another herbicide that does not have a Florida label at the present time. It is used on tobacco in several southeastern states, and is a candidate for use in tomato, pepper, and several cucurbits. Spartan does present control of nutsedges when applied under mulch. In trials in Florida, strawberry does have a great deal of tolerance to its application. IR-4 residue trials have been carried out in 2003.

Carfentrazone (Aim) is a burn down herbicide that has a section 18 label in tomato, pepper and eggplant in Florida as a post-directed shielded spray for control of paraquat resistant nightshade.  EPA is expected to give a super-crop group tolerance to carfentrazone for use in row middles. When that happens, Aim may be labeled in strawberries. 

Crop Destruct Labels

Even though Boa had a crop destruct label, there had to be efficacy trials run with the Gramoxone products for them to obtain a crop destruct label.  This was done this past year at 3 rates and 4 different gallon/a applications.  Hopefully, a crop destruct label can be obtained.

(Bill Stall, Horticultural Sciences Department - Vegetarian 04-09)