Control of Black Nightshade in California Cotton When Rainfall Does Not Occur

Harold M. Kempen and Peter Belluomini


 
ABSTRACT

For a decade, nightshades have been an increasingly widespread problem in San Joaquin Valley cotton production areas. Herbicides such as fluometuron, cyanazine, diuron or prometryn do well in the west just as they do in rainbelt areas if rainfall occurs after planting. But more than half the time rainfall does not occur or it is too little or too late. When these same herbicides are incorporated into soils before planting, control is also inadequate when no rainfall occurs after planting.

Research in the 1970's had shown that MSMA or DSMA suppressed black nightshade and American black nightshade that emerged with cotton when nutsedge research was being done. However over-the-top sprays were not adequate to give the high degree of control needed at this stage of cotton development. Post-directed spray equipment technology had not come to the San Joaquin Valley then and still has not, but because of the present high cost of cleaning up nightshades in cotton (up to $150.00 per acre), we now feel that there is enough incentive to growers to use this widely used Southern Belt technology. Additionally, growers now know how to set up spray equipment so acceptance of an OT (over-the-top) plus PDS (postdirected spray) sequence is feasible.



Reprinted from 1985 Proceedings: Beltwide Cotton Production Research Conferences pp. 202 - 203
©National Cotton Council, Memphis TN

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Document last modified Sunday, Dec 6 1998