Herbicide program maximizes weed control, yield, and sustainability for squash farmers

Family farms are facing unprecedented challenges with low commodity prices and high input costs combined with regulatory obstacles threatening the availability and practical use of pesticides. Ensuring U.S. agriculture has access to economically effective and safe pest management tools is paramount for our nation and the world as our farmers produce safe and affordable food, feed, fiber, and fuel. A squash field experiment assessed the weed control effectiveness and economic value of a standard herbicide program compared to six non-chemical alternatives including 1) a program using multiple passes with a sweep plow, 2) a program using multiple passes with a tine weeder, 3 & 4) hand weeding to supplement plow or weeder programs achieving 75% weed control, and 5 & 6) hand weeding to supplement plow or weeder programs achieving 95% weed control. The herbicide program provided 98-99% control of Palmer amaranth, large crabgrass, and wild radish at a cost of $104 ha -1 for the season. Cultivation (tine weeder or plow) controlled each weed only 36 to 64% at a cost of $144 to $207 ha -1 , producing 83 to 85% less squash than the herbicide program. Supplementing cultivation with 9 to 13 hours ha -1 of hand weeding achieved approximately 75% control, resulting in weed control costs ranging from $916 to $1,073 ha -1 , with 40 to 47% less squash fruit harvested than the herbicide program. For 95% weed control, 92 to 98 hours ha -1 of hand weeding was required, with results noted yields comparable to the herbicide program, but weed control costs ranged from $8,344 to $8,527 ha -1 , an increase of 80 to 82 times above the herbicide program. This experiment demonstrates how plant protection tools can increase crop yield and quality while reducing costly inputs, thus improving the likelihood of safe, affordable, and sustainable food production.