The Blueberry News – July 2019

34 | The Blueberry News FloridaBlueberryGrowers.org

for the crop

WEED

Management Practices for Weeds on

Your Blueberry Operation

THE MOST IMPORTANT method of weed control is preventing current

weeds in your field from developing seeds. Some common weed species in

blueberry can produce more than 100,000 seeds per plant and can survive in

the soil profile for 5 to 15 years. Preemergence herbicides can provide residual

weed control for many weeks or months. But the frequent summer rainfall

events may move the preemergence herbicide below the area of greatest

control. So blueberry growers will rely on postemergence herbicides when they

experience a reduction in weed control from preemergence herbicides.

Two categories of postemergence herbicides are selective and

nonselective. Selective postemergence herbicides control certain

weed species and not others due to uptake, metabolism, and

structure of the enzyme’s site of action. Nonselective postemergence

herbicides control all the weed species. This article provides a

discussion of postemergence herbicides and includes the name of

the most common trade name for an active ingredient, but other

formulations for an active ingredient are available.