DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION OF WEED MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR FLORIDA VEGETABLE, DECIDUOUS FRUIT AND NUT CROP SYSTEMS

Goal 1: Improve the use of herbicides in conventional fruit and vegetable production.Objective 1a: Evaluate new lower toxicity herbicides for crop safety and control efficacy. The herbicides should have injury less than 15% injury, no reduction in yield, and weed control greater than 65%.Objective 1b: Increase by 45% the growers' ability to correctly identify weeds, the growth cycle, and appropriate herbicide for control.Objective 1c: Establish 15 new maximum residue levels for pesticides each year through the InterRegional Project 4 Program.Objective 1d: Six factsheets will be published each year to inform growers about proper herbicide selection, weed identification, or proper herbicide application.Goal 2: Implementation and adoption of integrated weed management into Florida fruit and vegetable production.Objective 2a: Cover crops will be included into 75% of vegetable grower's integrated weed management plan.Objective 2b: Mechanical weed control during the summer fallow period will be used by 15% of all vegetable growers, but by 65% of Florida acres that are heavily infested by purple nutsedge or yellow nutsedge.Objective 2c: Three journal publications will be published year on the topic of integrated weed management.