Learn About Combating Herbicide Resistance By Using Strip Cultivation

Posted by Brian Sparks|February 26, 2014

Managing ground cover in orchards and vineyards is important for reducing competition among fruit crops and non-crop plants or weeds. In young plantings, weeds compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients, resulting in smaller trees and vines. In mature plantings, weed competition can result in smaller fruits and lower yields.

Weed management in fruit crops often begins with tillage or an herbicide application before trees or vines are planted. Although this may give new plantings a head start on growth, the soil’s seed bank quickly replenishes weeds that were initially killed off. Therefore, repeated management is needed to keep weeds at bay.

Although managing weeds is necessary, using herbicides poses some challenges. For example, repeated use of the same herbicide may result in weed resistance to the herbicide. If not applied carefully, herbicide injury to trees and vines may occur. In certified organic systems, approved herbicides are not as effective as their conventional counterparts.

Strip cultivation, also known as the Swiss Sandwich system, is an herbicide alternative option for weed management. This approach uses a cultivating implement to disturb weeds by cultivating the top 3 to 5 inches of soil in the crop row. Research in the Organic Pest Management Lab at Michigan State University (MSU) has demonstrated that strip cultivation provides comparable if not better weed control as well as increased soil nitrate and ammonium levels.

Want to learn more about strip cultivation? Join MSU Entomology’s Matt Grieshop and Brad Baughman for two free online webinars on using strip cultivation in apples and grapes. Topics include impacts of strip cultivation on weeds, pests, and beneficial insects. Availability and pros/cons of strip cultivation equipment will also be discussed. The grape webinar will be held on March 4 from 12-3 p.m. The apple webinar will be held on March 5 from 12-3 p.m.