Weed Management

Understanding Preemergence Herbicides for Common Weeds in Vegetables

The University of Maryland Pesticide Safety and Training program was created to assist agricultural producers and businesses with timely information regarding pesticide use and recommendations. Farms use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment.

Marestail (Conyza canadensis), also known as horseweed or Canada fleabane, is a common winter or summer annual broadleaf weed found in nurseries, greenhouses, landscapes, roadways, meadows, turfgrass, and crops. It is problematic due to vast seed reproduction in two cycles, wind dissemination, lack of seed dormancy, and adaptability to both moist and dry soils.

Weed Management

Greenhouse Herbicides for Vegetables

Organic Weed Control in No-Till Vegetable Systems

Japanese stiltgrass is an invasive grass that is typically seen in wooded areas. It likes shaded, wet areas and can easily take over the forest understory. Unfortunately, it can also creep into pastures and hay fields. The leaves of Japanese stiltgrass are wider and shorter than most of our common pasture grasses. There is also a distinctive silvery midvein that is slightly off-center from the middle of the leaf (Figure 1).

For our organic vegetable growers in the Mid-Atlantic the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s State Organic Program issued a STOP USE notice for W.O.W. (WHACK OUT WEEDS!) and ECOMIGHT-PRO products,manufactured by EcoMight LLC.

Weed control is a principal concern for vegetable growers. The adoption of sustainable agricultural techniques can reduce land managers' dependency on expensive or harmful chemicals, but may also result in increased weed presence. Weed control is not just a matter of preventing weed emergence or killing weeds that arise during the growing season. A good management strategy should include reducing the size of the existing weed seedbank. Adopting techniques that reduce the weed seedbank is a necessary step toward long term weed management solutions.

Offing Cover Crops for Weed Suppression: Featuring the Roller Crimper and Other Mechanical Contraptions