The Effects of Sub‐lethal Doses of McPa on the Morphology and Yield of Vegetable Crops

Summary. The effect of sub‐lethal doses of MCPA‐sodium on the morphology, growth and yield of carrots and parsnips was studied in twenty replicated field experiments. Slight epinasty was produced in carrots by doses as low as 0.002 lb/ac a.e., but formative effects were not usually seen below 0.01 lb/ac. Crop weight was only reduced by doses greater than 0.1 lb/ac, but abnormalities rendered a proportion of the roots unmarketable at doses below 0.05 lb/ac. Small plants were sometimes killed by 0.3 lb/ac, but larger plants survived treatment with up to 0.5 lb/ac. Tests on carrots which were unmarketable on grounds of appearance failed to reveal any effect of MCPA on flavour, sweetness or texture of the roots. The effects of MCPA on parsnips were similar to those on carrots, but the expression of injury symptoms was generally less marked. Les effets de doses sub‐létales de MCPA sur la morphologie et le rendement des cultures légumières III. Carottes et panais