Reducing Weeds in Berry Crops: Part 2

Last month, we talked about 3 things to do before you plant your next berry field to reduce weed problems - site selection, crop rotation and preplant cleanup. This month, let's focus on things to do at planting time to reduce weeds.

1. Stale seedbed technique: Consider setting your field up to plant as a stale seedbed, to plant without tillage. A cover crop like rye should be established early the previous summer or fall. Plant a higher seed population and fertilize enough to establish a thick and uniform cover crop stand. Once growth starts in the spring, a burndown glyphosate treatment should be applied. To cut through the killed cover crop, fluted coulters and heavier press wheels can be added to your transplanter. Ensure irrigation is used after planting to help transplants establish. Herbicides can be used in no-till plantings similar to tilled plantings. Research trials with this system in Ontario resulted in good stands with little weed emergence for several months.
2. Plasticulture: Growing strawberries in plasticulture totally changes the weed problems. The black mulch prevents weeds on the beds and between plants, and tillage, flaming or mulching can control weeds between the beds. In plasticulture, common weeds like pigweed and lambs-quarters are rarely a problem. However, weeds can establish around the planting hole, especially winter annuals, so prevention is important. Hand pulling and wick wiping can be quick and effective to remove these weeds when they are small.
3. Banding fertilizer: Weeds flourish under high soil fertility, so reducing their access to fertilizer can give your crop the advantage. Banding fertilizer at planting, at renovation and again for the Labour Day nitrogen can reduce weed growth in the other areas of the field. Equipment modifications like shielding will be required, but the fertilizer expense can be reduced.
4. Trickle irrigation: Although common in raspberries and blueberries, strawberry growers have been reluctant to adopt trickle irrigation due to the large numbers of emitters and tubing required, and the need for sprinklers for frost protection. However, where applicable, restricting water to only the crop area will reduce weeds between rows (well, not in a wet year like 2006, but under "normal" dry summer conditions).

In the next issue, I will focus on things you can do during the growing season to reduce weeds.

Related Links

• Reducing Weeds in Berry Crops, Part 1
• Reducing Weeds in Berry Crops: Part 3
• Reducing Weeds in Berry Crops: Part 4
  

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