|
'musc-mg' ~ electronic advisory from NC Cooperative Extension Service for muscadine growers
Vol. 4 No. 1
April 1, 2008
Contributors to this advisory:
Connie Fisk, Muscadine Extension Associate, Dept. of Horticultural Science, NCSU
Bill Cline, Extension Plant Pathologist, Dept. of Plant Pathology, NCSU
Wayne Mitchem, Extension Associate – Vineyard Weed Management, Dept. of Horticultural Science, NCSU
Topics in this issue:
*Planting a Muscadine Vineyard
*There is Value in Preemergence Herbicides
*Vineyard Fire Ant Management
*Visit Connie’s New Website, Send Ideas for Future Content
Planting a Muscadine Vineyard
Many new vineyards are being planted in North Carolina this year and many vineyards are being added on to. Some important tips to keep in mind:
1) You should have a soil sample analyzed for pH and nutrients. These are easy to submit to NCDA through your local Cooperative Extension Office and cost $5 per sample. Based on the results, the recommended dolomitic lime and fertilizer should be incorporated before you plant or install your trellis. The target soil pH is 6.5.
2) It is best to control weeds prior to planting. Weeds such as honeysuckle, brambles, johnsongrass and bermudagrass are relatively easy to kill before the vineyard is planted, but more difficult and expensive to kill after planting. Also, young vines are easily damaged by herbicides.
3) After the weeds have been eliminated and the lime and fertilizer applications have been made, the site should be deep plowed to 6 to 8 inches and thoroughly disked. If a hardpan exists near the surface, the soil should be chisel-plowed to a depth of about 2 feet to ensure good root penetration and good water drainage.
4) It is best to have your trellis posts installed before you plant. Irrigation and wire can be added later, but you don’t want to risk damaging your valuable young plants pounding posts.
5) It is recommended that you wait to plant until the danger of frost has passed. This is mid-April in most areas of North Carolina.
6) It is recommended that you cut the young plants back to 2 or 3 buds when planting. One of those buds will produce a shoot that you can train as the vine’s trunk. It is tempting to leave the entire vine as it was received from the nursery, but keep in mind that the process of un-potting and planting that vine will cause stress to the root system and the vine will fair much better in the long run if you reduce stress by limiting the amount of growth initially.
7) Plant the vines as deep as they were in the pot, or just slightly deeper. Research has shown that digging a large planting hole (~24 inches in diameter) results in the most rapid growth of young vines in heavy soil. Other studies have shown that large shoveled holes with straight or angled sides result in greater root and shoot dry weights and greater total root length than auger holes or small shovel holes. They concluded that the shallow, spreading root systems of muscadine grapes make planting practices affecting horizontal root growth especially important for strong growth of muscadine vines during establishment. Overall, planting in a large hole and the lack of polished or compressed side walls in the hole were the most important factors improving establishment of muscadine vines (Basiouny and Himelrick, 2001). So keep that in mind, especially if your site has a heavy soil.
8) After the vines are planted water the vines well and be prepared to provide adequate irrigation if there isn’t sufficient rain during the first two establishment years. Once mature the vines are better able to survive without irrigation, though most commercial producers continue to provide irrigation to obtain optimum yield and fruit quality.
9) Fertilization in the first season should begin as soon as growth starts in the spring. The basic recommendation is to apply 4 ounces of 10-10-10 fertilizer, shaken in an 18 inch circle around each vine getting no closer that than 6 inches from the young trunk. This should be followed by another application should be made in mid-May, and a third by the first weekend in July. An alternative preferred by growers in the eastern part of the state is to apply 6-6-18 tobacco fertilizer instead of the 10-10-10 in April and July, with an application of 3-4 ounces of calcium nitrate in mid-May. The alternative fertilizer program provides several additional nutrients that are often deficient in vines grown on sandier soil.
There is Value in Preemergence Herbicides
During a recent visit to a vineyard a grower was very interested in using preemergence herbicides rather than attempting to control weeds solely with non-selective postemergence herbicides like glyphosate, paraquat (Gramoxone), or Rely. In the previous growing seasons glyphosate has been very inexpensive however for several reasons that will not be the case in 2008. We can safely assume glyphosate cost is going to be close to, if not more than, double what it was last year. That alone makes preemergence herbicides a better value than last year relative to glyphosate. The other benefit to using preemergence herbicides is savings in time and application costs. Assuming you do not have issues with bermudagrass and you use a good preemergence herbicide or combination of herbicides, two herbicide applications should provide adequate control through the season, freeing up time for other necessary vineyard management activities. In order to adequately control weeds, postemergence herbicides would have to be applied every 3 to 4 weeks assuming normal growing conditions. Utilizing preemergence herbicides is good herbicide stewardship as well. Continual use of glyphosate alone, one application after another, year after year, has resulted in the selection for glyphosate-resistant weeds. Glyphosate-resistant biotypes of horseweed and Palmer amaranth have been identified in eastern North Carolina.
Two herbicide programs often recommended to growers are sequential Chateau applications or a simazine + oryzalin (Surflan) tank mix. An outline of the herbicide programs is provided below.
Sequential Chateau Program:
Chateau should be applied at 6 to 8 oz per acre in combination with glyphosate (DO NOT use glyphosate if vines have already leafed out) or Rely. This will provide 60 to 80 days of residual control of annual weeds. When control from the initial application begins to fail and emerging weeds get 2-3 inches tall apply a second application of Chateau at 6 to 8 oz per acre in combination with Rely or paraquat.
Simazine + Oryzalin Program (Vines established at least 3 years):
A late winter application of glyphosate should be applied in mid- to late-March. When emerging weeds get 2-4 inches tall apply simazine + oryzalin (Surflan) at 2 qt per acre of each in combination with glyphosate or Rely or paraquat.
To see use restrictions for theses products as well as a list of other preemergence herbicide option visit http://www.smallfruits.org and click on the IPM/Production Guide icon then select the information for muscadine. You can search and view product labels at http://www.cdms.net/LabelsMsds/LMDefault.aspx to get specific use directions directly from the label.
Vineyard Fire Ant Management
Dr. Dale K. Pollet, Entomology Professor at LSU’s AgCenter spoke at the March 14, 2007 North Carolina Muscadine Grape Association Winter Meeting in Raleigh, NC on the topic of Fire Ant Management in Vineyards. There are currently only 2 products labeled for fire ant control in vineyards, Extinguish (but not Extinguish Plus) and Esteem (known as Distance for ornamental use).
-
These products work by sterilizing the entire colony – the queen lays sterile eggs.
-
They don’t kill the ants immediately, so they are still controlling other vineyard pests.
-
They are environmentally-friendly, breaking down quickly with water.
-
They don’t store well – go rancid unless sealed in bags under vacuum.
-
You don’t need to cover every inch of ground with the product because the ants forage over a large distance – therefore treat only every other row.
-
Rate: 1.5 lbs/acre
-
Speed: 5-7 mph on a 4-wheeler
-
Coverage: 12 grains per square foot
-
You will see results from Extinguish in ~4-8 weeks
-
You will see results from Esteem in ~2 weeks
-
Apply once in the spring and once in the fall, when the ants are actively foraging (test for foraging behavior by placing hot dog/potato chips/sardines and checking them in 30 minutes for ant activity) – only apply when the ants are actively foraging.
-
You should alternate products each year.
-
Do not apply before March 15 because the ants aren’t yet foraging
*Notes taken by Connie Fisk, Extension Associate for Muscadine Grapes at NC State University, March 14, 2007.*
A pdf of this article along with the two product labels can be viewed here or on the NC Muscadine Grape Association website under Connie’s Notes.
To learn more about fire ant ecology, biology, natural pests and other management options, visit http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/fireant.html for a 2003 article by Preston Sullivan on Sustainable Fire Ant Management.
Visit Connie’s New Website, Send Ideas for Future Content
I just wanted to let everyone know that I have posted an updated website for the Muscadine Extension Program. It is available at http://www4.ncsu.edu/~clfisk/muscadine.html and is a work in progress. So please send comments, suggestions, links to publications, requests for articles on a particular subject, etc. to Connie.
To subscribe to ‘musc-mg’
Step 1 – send an email to: majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu
Step 2 – put one line in the body of the message that says: subscribe musc-mg
To unsubscribe
Step 1 – send an email to: majordomo@ces.ncsu.edu
Step 2 – put one line in the body of the message that says: unsubscribe musc-mg
Recommendations for the use of chemicals are included in this publication as a convenience to the reader. The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned. Individuals who use chemicals are responsible for ensuring that the intended use complies with current regulations and conforms to the product label. Be sure to obtain current information about usage and examine a current product label before applying any chemical. For assistance, contact an agent of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in your county.
|
