Pest control in crops grown in northwestern New Mexico, 2013

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Pest Control in Crops Grown in Northwestern
New Mexico, 2013
Annual Data Report 100-2013
Richard N. Arnold, Michael K. O’Neill, Daniel Smeal, Kevin Lombard,
and Margaret West1
Cooperative Extension Service • College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
INTRODUCTION
Weeds cause more total crop losses than any other agri­cultural pest (Lorenzi and Jeffery, 1987). Weeds reduce crop yields and quality, harbor insects and plant diseases, cause irrigation and harvesting problems, and reduce the total value of agricultural products in the United States by 10 to 15% (Anonymous, 1986; Chandler et al., 1984; Lorenzi and Jeffery, 1987). Estimated average losses dur­ing 1975–1979 in the potential production of field corn, potatoes, and onion ranged from 7 to 16% in the Moun­tain States Region (which includes New Mexico) (Chan­dler et al., 1984). San Juan County ranks first in potato production, second in alfalfa production, and fourth in corn production (USDA and New Mexico Agricultural Statistics Service, 1998). An estimated 90% of all tillage operations are for weed control (Anonymous, 1986). Herbicides can reduce the number of required tillage operations and can be used where cultivation is not pos­sible, such as within crop rows or in solid-seeded crops. With increasing fuel and labor costs, herbicides are often more economical than other methods of weed control.
Many herbicides are approved for use on agronomic crops grown on medium- and fine-textured, high-organic soils. Little information, however, is available regarding their effectiveness and safety on low-organic, coarse-textured soils that are common to northwestern New Mexico.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become more stringent with regard to research data required for pesticide approval. Thus, it is critical that state agricultural science centers work closely with com­mercial companies developing new pesticides in order to obtain the research data required by EPA. This coopera­tion will benefit the agricultural industry of the state and assist EPA pesticide registration.
Before 1980, the use of herbicides in northwestern New Mexico was limited. Most growers were still using 2,4-D in corn for broadleaf weed control, while annual grasses were left in check. In alfalfa, burning winter an­nual mustard and downy brome with propane was not uncommon. An herbicide field-screening program has provided essential information on the activity of new and old herbicides on crops grown in northwestern
New Mexico.
As new land on the Navajo Indian Irrigation Proj­ect comes under cultivation, weed problems are varied and may change with each successive crop. It is only through continued research that the demand for reliable information on the use of pesticides in northwestern New Mexico can be met.
The author wishes to express his sincere appreciation to the following companies for providing technical assis­tance, products, and/or financial assistance: Bayer Crop­Science, BASF, Monsanto, Dow AgroSciences, Navajo
Table of Contents
Page
Introduction.......................................................................1
Monsanto, Broadleaf Weed Control in Spring-Seeded Roundup Ready Alfalfa.............................................. 2
BASF, Headline SC Applications Applied to Various
Cutting Schedules for Established Roundup Ready Alfalfa Production...................................................... 2
BASF, Headline SC Applications for Established Roundup Ready Alfalfa Production........................................... 3
BASF, Broadleaf Weed Control in Field Corn With
Preemergence Followed by Sequential Postemergence Herbicides With or Without Headline AMP and Priaxor Applied Alone or in Combination................................3
Bayer CropScience, Broadleaf Weed Control in Field
Corn with Preemergence Followed by Sequential
Postemergence Herbicides...........................................4
Bayer CropScience, Jim Hill Mustard Control in Winter Wheat........................................................................ 5
References....................................................................... 13
Notice to Users of This Report........................................ 16
1Respectively, College Professor, Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science, and Superintendent, Agricultural Science Center at Farmington; Professor, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences; College Professor, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences; Assistant Professor, Agricultural
Science Center at Farmington; and Agricultural Research Scientist, Agricultural Science Center at Farmington, New Mexico State University.