Alternative Weed Management - 12/14/17

Among the strategies discussed for reducing the seed bank were:

Prevention:

• Manage amendments like manure and compost to ensure temperatures get high enough to kill weed seed
• Avoid bringing new seeds into fields on boots, tractors and tools
• Do not allow weeds to go to seed

Prior to planting:

• Preparation of stale beds including pre-irrigation to germinate weed seed
• Pre-plant destruction of newly germinated weeds through
  • Flaming
  • Shallow Tillage
  • Solarization
  • Steam (still in experimental phase)
• Establishing mulches with plastics or cover crop debris and other organic plant material

Post-planting:

• Flaming prior to crop emergence – particularly slow germinating direct-sown crops like carrots
• Mechanical cultivation, including in-row weeding tools like the finger-weeders shown in this video from Cooperative Extension, Monterey County

Following Steve Fennimore’s presentation, there were field demonstrations of tractor and ATV-mounted flaming rigs from Star Route Farms and Gospel Flat Farm as well as a multi-purpose cultivation rig built by Gospel Flat’s Mickey Murch.

Interpretation during both the presentation and field demo was provided for Spanish-speaking crew and equipment operators.

Send follow-up questions to: Steve Fennimore at the US Ag Research Station in Salinas at: safennimore@ucdavis.edu or 831-755-2896

Additional resources mentioned in discussion during the workshop: