Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries - Evaluation of Mesotrione in Combination with Graminicides for Tufted Vetch Control in Cranberry Production

Abstract: One limitation of mesotrione is that it does not control many grass species in cranberry production in New Brunswick. Producers may be interested in combining mesotrione with other herbicides to improve the spectrum of weed control and reduce application costs. A trial was initiated near Maugerville, NB in an established cranberry bed to evaluate the use of mesotrione in combination with sethoxydim or clethodim for tufted vetch control. None of the herbicide treatments caused commercially significant crop injury or yield effects. Mesotrione, applied alone, gave tufted vetch control within this trial. Both sethoxydim and clethodim controlled barnyard grass. No difference in weed control was found in any mesotrione/graminicide tank mix evaluated, both when Agral 90 was added or without additional surfactant. Two applications of mesotrione significantly improved tufted vetch control. The registration of clethodim for grass control in cranberry would give producers an additional herbicide choice. The spectrum of grass control from this product should be evaluated further. Two applications of mesotrione should also be evaluated further to determine if this use would improve the level of weed control on harder to control weed species like rushes, sedges and goldenrod species.