Evaluation of New Preemergence Herbicides Alone and in Combinations for Weed Control in Melons

Abstract

Azafenidin (Milestone®, Dupont) and flumioxazin (Valor®, Valent)) caused cantaloupe injury that was very marginal between acceptable (<15%) and unacceptable (>15%). Flufenacet (Bayer), isoxaben (Gallery, DowAgroSciences), and thifensulfuron (Harmony®, Dupont) at the rates tested caused severe crop injury. Isoxaben provided very good weed control (>90%), azafenidin provided acceptable control of only lambsquarters at 88% and less than acceptable (85%) control of pigweeds, purslane, and grasses, and flumioxazin at the higher rate of 0.05 lb AI/A tended to offer slightly better weed control than the lower rate but overall it was marginally acceptable. Bensulide (Prefar®) combined with flumioxazin caused negligible crop phytotoxicity and better than 93% control for purslane, pigweeds, lambsquarters, and grasses. Combinations of herbicides offered slightly improved weed control compared to herbicides applied alone. Crop injury increased for combinations with dimethenamid (Outlook®, Frontier®, BASF) and s-metolachlor (Dual Magnum®, Syngenta).