Response of Four Cranberry Varieties to Delayed Applications of Dichlobenil

Abstract

Field studies were conducted in 2009 and 2010 on established commercial cranberry farms in southeastern Massachusetts to evaluate cranberry vine injury and yield with two rates of dichlobenil (1.8 and 2.7 kg ai ha−1) applied at various growth stages starting in mid-May. Four varieties were evaluated: ‘Ben Lear', ‘Early Black', ‘Howes', and ‘Stevens'. Ben Lear vines exhibited leaf-stress symptoms in both years, and Howes and Stevens vines had leaf symptoms in 1 yr. Data indicated that applications made during periods of flower-part development and growth (jewel through bloom) had the highest injury ratings. Growth stage affected injury ratings by variety and dichlobenil rate in 1 out of 2 yr. In all cases, leaf symptoms abated by the end of the season. No effect on yield (wt of fruit per unit area) was detected for any treatment combination on any variety in either year. Data from the present study support pursuit of future studies and can guide management decisions for dodder control to a limited extent. Longer studies are needed to fully evaluate repeated, annual applications of dichlobenil dispensed during periods of rapid growth on cranberry vine development and yield. Further work is also needed to document the practical use of delayed applications of dichlobenil for dodder management.

Development of a novel precision applicator for spot treatment of granular agrochemical in wild blueberry

“…Other implementations should be explored to expand the applicator's potential use cases, such as alternate cropping systems or agrochemicals. Cranberry is the evident option, given the similarities to wild blueberries and the documented use of dichlobenil [22][23][24][25][26] . That said, other cropping systems may have use cases for dichlobenil which are not currently employed due to the herbicide's cost.…”

Seasonal nonstructural carbohydrate patterns in dewberry (Rubus spp.) roots

“…Due to their recumbent growth habit (Gleason and Cronquist 1991), exponential growth patterns (HAS, personal observations), and vigorous stems that can root at the tip and woody roots (Demoranville 1986), weedy Rubus are challenging to control, can cause serious crop losses in cranberry, and are lacking satisfactory controls for most growers (Else et al 1995; Sandler 2010). Current management options (Sandler and Ghantous 2018) involve labor-intensive wiping with glyphosate alone or in mixture with 2,4-D products; spot treatments with concentrated solutions of mesotrione can stunt Rubus plants.…”

Controlled studies further the development of practical guidelines to manage dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) in cranberry production with short-term flooding

“…A recent survey indicated that 45% of cranberry growers reported that 5–25% of their farms are typically infested with dodder; one-third reported that more than 50% of their farms can be infested in any given year. Dodder was ranked as either first or second as a problematic weed by 25% or 20% of growers surveyed, respectively 2 . Its vigorous growth habit, combined with a prodigious 3 and long-lived seed bank, makes management difficult.…”