Update on New Herbicide Options for

Established Alfalfa

Mick Canevari

UCCE Emeritus

Premium Good Fair

$180/Ton= $150/Ton= $100/Ton=

$1260/Ac $1050/Ac $700/Ac

Avg Yield 7 Tons/A

Weeds Affect Hay Quality

Nov 2016

California Hay Report

+ $560/A + $350/A 0

Stand loss

Crop stunting

Weeds No Weeds

Smell, Flavor,

Wild Celery

Mexican Tea

Swinecress

Fleabane

Poison Hemlock

Fiddleneck

Groundsel

High Nitrates

1. Crop Rotation

Reduce weed & disease levels

Grains

Compacted soil

PH & Soil amendments

Laser leveling

Seedbed preparation

Weed management starts before planting.

Seeding Dates Irrigating up

Rainfall unpredictable Fall planting = Sept/October

Spring planting= March/April

Weed control begins at planting

Conditions that favor fast germination & growth.

Mechanical

Animal

Chemical

Weed Control Methods

Sheep Grazing

1. Gramoxone

2. 2,4D-B

3. Sharpen

4. Shark

5. Roundup

6. Poast

7. Raptor

8. Pursuit

9. Select

10. Velpar

11. Chateau

12. Prowl

13. Karmex

14. Solicam

15. Sencor

Post

Pre

“PPO herbicides inhibit chlorophyll

development and destroy cell membranes”

• PPO Inhibitors have limited translocation.

• PPO Inhibitors effect mostly broadleaf plants.

• PPO Inhibitors have little activity on grasses.

• PPO Inhibitors are contact & burn plant tissues

within hours.

Shark & Sharpen

Can we control Quackgrass

Nutsedge

Dodder

Dandelion

Dodder

PPO Herbicide's don't control Perennial Weeds

Gramoxone 14 DAT

Chateau 14 DAT

Shark 7 DAT

Sharpen

7 DAT

PPO herbicides burn foliage

Post Emergence- Weeds up but small.

Burns broadleafs on contact- Not systemic.

No soil residual- Crop rotation issues

Labeled dormant & growing season use.

Some yield loss between cuttings.

Shark

7 days after application

Alfalfa Shark Tolerance Trial

Application Between Cuttings

2015

0 5 10 15 20 25

Shark EW 2.0 oz + Herb Activator

Shark EW 1.0 oz + Herb Activator

Shark EW 2.5 oz + Activator 90

Shark EW 2.0 oz + Activator 90

Shark EW 1.0 oz + Activator 90

UTC

Height 11DAT Height 17DAT Height 24DAT

MICK CANEVARI

UCCE EMERITUS

SAN JOAQUIN

COUNTY

Rate: Prod/A.

Appl: 5-15-15 Activator 90 @ 0.25%

V/V; Herbicide Activator @ 1.0%

V/V.

INCHES

Alfalfa Shark Tolerance Trial

Application Between Cuttings

2015

1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600 2800 3000

Shark EW 2.0 oz + Herb Activator

Shark EW 1.0 oz + Herb Activator

Shark EW 2.5 oz + Activator 90

Shark EW 2.0 oz + Activator 90

Shark EW 1.0 oz + Activator 90

UTC

1936

2168

2031

1988

2143

2556

YIELD 24DAT

A

b

b

b

b

b

LSD P=.05

MICK CANEVARI

UCCE EMERITUS

SAN JOAQUIN

COUNTY

Rate: Prod/A.

Appl: 5-15-15 Activator 90 @ 0.25%

V/V; Herbicide Activator @ 1.0%

V/V.

LB/Acre

Sharpen™ Herbicide

• Burndown Chemistry– PPO Inhibitor, Group 14

Control of many toughest broadleaf weeds –

• GROUNDSEL & FLEABANE

Fast and Complete • Controls broadleaf weeds fast

• Not effective on controlling grasses

• Excellent when utilized as a tank mix

partner with soil residual herbicides in

established alfalfa.

Active Ingredient saflufenacil

amaranth spp.

beggarticks, hairy

beggarweed, Florida

bindweed, field*

buckwheat, wild

canola, volunteer

carpetweed

chamomile, mayweed

chickweed, common

cocklebur, common

cockle, corn

copperleaf, Virginia

cowcockle

dandelion*

devil’s-claw

eclipta

eveningprimrose, cutleaf

filaree spp.

fleabane, hairy

galinsoga

groundcherry, cutleaf

groundsel, common

jimsonweed

knotweed, prostrate

kochia

lambsquarters spp.

lettuce, prickly

mallow, Venice

marestail/horseweed

melon spp.

morningglory spp.

mustard spp.

nettle, burning

nightshade spp.

purslane, common

pennycress, field

pigweed spp.

prickly sida/teaweed

puncturevine

ragweed, common & giant

rocket, London

sesbania, hemp

shepherd’s-purse

smartweed spp.

sowthistle spp.

spurge spp.

sunflower, common

tansymustard spp.

thistle, Canada*

thistle, Russian

velvetleaf

waterhemp spp.

willowweed

*Control of seedling stage and suppression of perennial growth stage

Performance may vary depending upon growth stage

Sharpen™ Herbicide Broadleaf Weeds Controlled

Sharpen 2 fl oz +Velpar 32 fl oz + Prowl H2O

3 qts Velpar 32 fl oz

50 Days after application

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Sharpen+Gramoxone+Prowl H2O .045+.5+1.9

Sharpen+Velpar .045+.5

Sharpen+Prowl H2O .045+1.9

Sharpen+Gramoxone .45+.5

Chateau .128

Gramoxone SL .5

Sharpen .0445

Groundsel Fleabane Burning Nettle

Rate: lbs ai/A.

Application: 12-9-15

% Control 90 DAT

SHARPEN

Untreated 7 days after application

Shark & Sharpen Trial ALFALFA WEED CONTROL 2017

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Shark 2.5 oz Sharpen 1.0 oz Sharpen 2.0 oz

Groundsel Shepherds Purse Chickweed An Bluegrass Fleabane

%

Lodi Calif applied 12-6-2016

14 DAT

Sharpen & Shark will control Roundup tolerant weeds

Fleabane

Malva

Nettle Purslane

“The best weed control

is still a healthy stand of alfalfa”

Good Luck in 2017