Post emergence spraying of clopyralid, picloram or pyridate in broccoli, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, or cauliflower kills weeds, with minimal crop damage

Abstract

We investigated potential post-emergence herbicides for managing broadleaf weeds in broccoli, Chinese cabbage, cabbage, and cauliflower, as no products are currently registered for these uses in Australia. Subsequent to spraying clopyralid, picloram, or pyridate 5 weeks after direct-sowing broccoli or Chinese cabbage, or transplanting cabbage or cauliflower seedlings, we recorded crop phytotoxicity symptoms, measured marketable crop yields, and assessed weed control achieved. Neither maximum application rates of 90 g clopyralid/ha, nor 45 g clopyralid/ha mixed with 30 g picloram/ha, adversely affected vegetable yields. Spraying 60 g/ha clopyralid controlled burr medic (Medicago polymorpha), and suppressed common sowthistle (Sonchus oleraceus). Applying 90 g clopyralid/ha, or mixing 22.5 g clopyralid/ha with 15 g picloram/ha, controlled both burr medic and common sowthistle. At the rates tested, neither clopyralid nor picloram affected deadnettle (Lamium amplexicaule). Applying 450 g pyridate/ha caused chlorotic spotting of the sprayed vegetable leaves, but did not affect marketable yields of broccoli, cabbage or cauliflower. This rate controlled deadnettle, reduced sowthistle growth by only 30–50% compared with an unweeded control, and had no impact on burr medic. Spraying 900 g pyridate/ha increased the severity and persistence of chlorotic spotting, and resulted in lower broccoli and Chinese cabbage yields than obtained in the best treatments in the respective experiments. Cabbage and cauliflower yields were unaffected by spraying 900 g pyridate/ha. This rate improved sowthistle control to a commercially acceptable level. Our studies suggest that both clopyralid and pyridate could be successfully utilised in Australian vegetable brassica production, providing issues of the residual activity of clopyralid on following crops, and optimal application rates and timing for pyridate, were resolved.