Weed control in lime, avocado and mango groves.
Harkness R. W., Byrd C. D.
Author Affiliation: Agric. Res. Educ. Center, Inst. Food Agric. Scis., Homestead, Florida 33030, USA.
Proceedings of the Florida State Horticultural Society 84 : 285-290
Abstract : Herbicide trials were carried out in 1967-71 on a rockland soil which precludes cultivation in 3- and 6-year old lime trees, 16-month old and established avocados and a 1-year old mango grove. Herbicide treatments involved 2-4 applications/year of diuron at 1.6-6.4 lb, diuron 3.2 lb + terbacil 4lb, ametryne 4 lb + terbacil 4 lb, terbacil 2-8 lb, terbacil 4 lb + paraquat 0.5 lb, simazine 8 lb + paraquat 0.5 lb, paraquat 0.5-1 lb, bromacil 4 lb and ametryne 4 lb/acre. Most treatments controlled large grasses. Panicum adspersum, a vigorous creeping grass, was only partially controlled by terbacil. Two treatments/year of simazine + paraquat gave almost complete control of Bidens spp. Diuron and simazine + paraquat gave fair control of Amaranthus spp. Poinsettia heterophylla was somewhat resistant to most treatments. Most vines are not controlled by standard twice a year treatments; Momordica charantia, Parthenocissus quinquefolia and Antigonon leptopus are particularly difficult to control. Calonyction aculeatum was the only vine which was appreciably affected by 1000 ppm of 2,4-D or fenoprop. Only terbacil and bromacil showed any toxicity to the trees. Bromacil was toxic to avocado and was replaced by ametryne in this crop; terbacil at 4-8 lb/acre caused chlorosis. Terbacil at 8 lb and bromacil 4 lb/acre were not toxic to mango. No herbicide was toxic to lime.