Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South
Dr. Mary Peet, NCSU
Home
Weed species, density and control strategies for cucumber production
|
Severity of Infestation (number of plants per 100 square feet) |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| . | . | Light | Moderate | Heavy | |||
| Weed | Scouting Time | Number | Strategy | Number | Strategy | Number | Strategy |
| Annual Grasses | |||||||
| Crabgrass | Su, F | 1-5 | B | 5-15 | B | 15 | B |
| Goosegrass | Su, F | 1-5 | B | 5-15 | B | 15 | B |
| Barnyardgrass | Su, F | 1-5 | B | 5-15 | B | 15 | B |
| Fall panicum | Su, F | 1-2 | B | 2-10 | B | 10 | B |
| Johnsongrass (seedling) | Su, F | 1-2 | B | 2-4 | B | 4 | B |
| Crowfoot grass | Su, F | 1-5 | B, C | 5-15 | B, C | 15 | B, C |
| Broadleaf signal grass | Su, F | 1-5 | B, C | 5-15 | B, C | 15 | B, C |
| Foxtails | Su, F | 1-2 | B | 2-10 | B | 10 | -- |
| Annual Broadleaves | |||||||
| Common lambsquarters | S, Su | 1-2 | B | 2-4 | B | 4 | B |
| Carpetweed | S. Su | 2-5 | B | 5-15 | B | 4 | B |
| Purslane | S, Su | 2-5 | B | 5-15 | B | 15 | B |
| Redroot pigweed | S, Su | 1-2 | B | 5-15 | B | 15 | B |
| Common ragweed | S, Su, | 2-4 | B | 4-8 | A | 15 | A |
| Common cocklebur | S, Su | 1-2 | C | 2-4 | C, D | 4 | C, D |
| Prickly sida | S, Su | 1-5 | A, D | 5-15 | A | 15 | A |
| Morningglory | S, Su | 2-4 | A, D | 4-8 | A | 8 | A |
| Sicklepod | S, Su | 1-2 | A,D | 2-4 | A | 4 | A |
| Perennials | |||||||
| Bermudagrass | Su, F | 1-2 | A | 2-4 | A | 4 | A |
| Johnsongrass (rhizome) | Su, F | 1-2 | A | 2-4 | A | 4 | A |
| Nutsedge | Su, F | 2-4 | A | 4-8 | A | 8 | A |
S=Spring; Su=Summer; F=Fall.
Key to weed control strategies:
A = avoid planting cucumbers if land is fallow and weeds are perennials.
Successful crop production in other situations will require weeds to be
controlled the year before the crop is to be grown.
B = available herbicide programs plus cultivation will control this weed during the growing season. If infestation is light, cultivation alone may suffice. No action necessary in previous season.
C = destroy before seeds mature by disking, mowing, hand pulling, chemical desiccation. This will eliminate seed from current weed crop, but a reservoir of weed for this particular weed probably exists in the soil.
D = same as C except none of the registered herbicides provide adequate control of this weed. If cucumbers are to be grown in this area, provisions must be made for frequent cultivations, supplemented by hand hoeing.