PREEMERGENCE AND POSTEMERGENCE HERBICIDE COMBINATIONS FOR WEED CONTROL IN NO-TILLAGE PUMPKIN PRODUCTION

Author

Robert John Britenstine, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

12-2009

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Plant and Soil Science

First Advisor

Walters, Stuart

Second Advisor

Young, Bryan

Abstract

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Robert J. Britenstine, for the Masters of Science Degree in Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems, presented 23 October 2009 at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. TITLE: PREEMERGENCE AND POSTEMERGENCE HERBICIDE COMBINATIONS FOR WEED CONTROL IN NO-TILLAGE PUMPKIN PRODUCTION MAJOR PROFESSORS: Dr. S. Alan Walters and Dr. Bryan G. Young Many pumpkin growers would like to adopt no-tillage production techniques primarily to produce cleaner, more attractive fruit. However, in no-tillage pumpkin production systems, herbicides then fail to control weeds that tillage controlled in conventional production. Three field studies were conducted to determine the effects of preemergence and postemergence herbicide combinations on weed control in no-tillage pumpkin production: 1) the double-crop herbicide study conducted at Belleville, Ill. revealed that pumpkins could be successfully double-cropped following winter wheat harvest with increased pumpkin yield in all treatments that included harvested winter wheat residue mulch compared with bare soil although weed control was not affected by herbicide treatment or the presence of wheat residue; 2) the preemergence and postemergence study conducted in Carbondale, Ill. indicated that dimethenamid provided greater crop safety, increased yield and improved weed control compared with imazamox, halosulfuron or clomazone + ethalfluralin applied alone, and also demonstrated the need for a postemergence herbicide application for optimum weed control in no-tillage pumpkin production; and 3) the preemergence study conducted in Carbondale, Ill., demonstrated that weed control and pumpkin yield was highest with applications of metolachlor and dimethenamid, as halosulfuron and imazamox tended to reduce yields, which was likely a result of increased pumpkin plant stunting when applied alone or in tank-mixtures.