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The 1998 Starr County Melon Field Day is scheduled for Wednesday May 13 beginning at 10 a.m. at the La Casita farm east of Rio Grande City, (see map). Field trials of both honeydews and cantaloupes will be featured in this year's field day, which also includes a stop at the Suntex farm on the west side of Rio Grande City. The early season cantaloupe trial on the tour includes eleven varieties and the honeydew trial includes seven varieties. The field day will conclude with a BBQ lunch at the Starr County Fair Grounds in Rio Grande City at noon and a short program that will allow participants to earn one CEU credit for their TDA pesticide applicators licenses.
TDA Approves 24© Label for Dual on Dry Bulb Onions, Peppers and Cabbage By Lynn Brandenberger
Both Dual and Dual 8E herbicide received a 24© Special Local Needs label for control of weeds on dry bulb onions, bell and non-bell peppers and cabbage within the state of Texas. This label includes an Indemnification Agreement which must be completed prior to application. Weed control activity from Dual is a result of inhibiting the growth of seeds prior to emergence and Dual is considered to be a pre-emergent herbicide. Dual can also inhibit the growth of labeled vegetable crops if applied prior to crop emergence or to plants smaller than indicted on the label. Because of this, Dual is labeled as a post-establishment treatment with respect to these crops. Since Dual has pre-emergent activity it should be applied to clean tilled soil because it generally will not control emerged weeds.
Application rates for both Dual and Dual 8E vary for each of the three crops and are given on the label. These rates were determined through research carried out within the state. Tested crops exhibited very low levels or no crop injury from these rates when applied as a post-establishment treatment. Weeds controlled or partially controlled by Dual and Dual 8E include 22 different grass species and 10 different broadleaf species. Although Dual does provide control of yellow nutsedge it will not control purple nutsedge. Dual can be applied prior to or within 48 hours after transplanting peppers and cabbage. Application to direct seeded cabbage, peppers and dry bulb onions must be done at the growth stages indicated on the label.
Dual should be applied at the labeled rates with ground spray equipment as a surface broadcast application and should not be incorporated. Be certain to read and follow all label instructions for the safe and effective use of this herbicide.
Reduced Risk Pesticides by Alton Sparks
In the past few months, Confirm (manufactured by Rohm and Haas) has received several section 18 registrations (leafy vegetables, Brassica vegetables, peppers, and pecans) and Spintor (manufactured by Dow AgroSciences, trade name Tracer in cotton) has received a full section 3 label for a variety of vegetables (cole crops, fruiting vegetables, and leafy vegetables). The fact that these products, and similar products, are making their way through the registration process a little quicker than some others is no accident. These products meet EPA's requirements to be designated as reduced risk products. From what I can gather, at the manufacturers request, EPA looks at the toxilogical and environmental fate data for a given product to determine if there are any areas of potential concern for non-target activity (i.e. human, bird, fish toxicity; potential for leaching; etc.). If the products toxilogical package looks clean, EPA can designate it as a reduced risk product and it can be placed on a registration 'fast track'. This is designed to speed up the availability of 'safer' pesticides in hopes that they will replace some currently used 'less safproducts.
Lynn Brandenberger/Editor
The information given herein is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products or trade names are made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Service is implied.