Jun 13, 2011

New herbicide label for strawberry

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development approved a State and Local Need (SLN) label (Section 24c) for use of Spartan 4F on strawberry in Michigan. The language of the new label is similar to the language in the Section 18 emergency labels that we have had for the past five years.

Earlier this year, FMC (the manufacturer of Spartan) released an expanded Section 3 label with several additional crops on it, including strawberry. However, the directions for use on strawberry were directed at annual production rather than perennial production. The 24c label includes directions for production of perennial strawberries in a “matted row” system, such as we use in Michigan.

Spartan 4F may be applied to the soil before transplanting strawberry in the spring, or over the top of the plants after transplanting. Spartan 4F may be applied to strawberry at renovation or after dormancy in the fall. The maximum use rate is 8 fluid ounces per application, and 12 fluid ounces per acre per year. Spartan should not be applied to strawberry plants that are actively growing. It also is not labeled for use on dormant strawberries in the spring.

Spartan will aid in control of several tough, annual broadleaves including common groundsel, common lambsquarters, corn spurry, ladysthumb, mayweed, redroot pigweed, pineappleweed, prostrate knotweed and wild buckwheat. It also has activity against yellow nutsedge. It will be most effective when used in combination with other residual herbicides.

By Bernard Zandstra, Michigan State University Extension