CHEMICAL WEED-CONTROL IN SWEET CHERRY PEPPERS

Two herbicide experiments with sweet cherry peppers were conducted in a Fraternidad clay at Lajas Substation from 1989 to 1990. In the first experiment, clomazone at 1.68 and 3.36 kg ai/ha applied pre-plant and incorporated, as well as fluazifop at 0.42 and 0.84 applied postemergence, gave excellent control of most grasses. Oxyfluorfen at 0.20 kg ai/ha as a pre-plant followed by bentazon at 1.12 kg ai/ha and fluazifop at 0.42 kg ai/ha also provided excellent weed control. The highest sweet cherry pepper yield was obtained with the hand-weeded control. It was then followed by oxyfluorfen at 0.20 kg ai/ha, then followed by bentazon + fluazifop mixture. The treatment with fluazifop at 0.42 kg ai/ha as a postemergence + one supplementary handweeding ranked third in yield. The above treatments did not differ significantly in yield. In the second experiment, colmazone at 2.24 kg ai/ha as a pre-plant, followed by three post directed application of paraquat at 0.56 kg ai/ha, gave the best weed control. Oxyfluorfen at 0.56 kg ai/ha as a pre-plant followed by bentazon at 1.12 kg ai/ha and fluazifop at 0.42 kg ai/ha mixture, also gave excellent weed control. The highest cherry pepper yield was obtained with clomazone at 2.24 kg ai/ha plus three applications of paraquat at 0.56kg ai/ha. This yield was followed by that with oxyfluorfen at 0.56 kg ai/ha followed by bentazone and fluazifop mixture. Napropamide at 2.24 kg ai/ha as a pre-plant, followed by three post directed applications of paraquat at 0.56 kg ai/ha, was ranked third. A good yield was also obtained with Napropamide at 2.24 kg ai/ha as a pre-plant followed by bentazon at 2.24 kg ai/ha and fluazifop at 0.42 kg ai/ha mixture. Yields did not differ significantly with these treatments.