Cool-Season Weed Control Using Ammonium Nonanoate and Cultivation in Organic Vidalia® Sweet Onion Production

Abstract

AbstractAmmonium nonanoate is registered for weed control in certified organic cropping systems and may be useful to control cool-season weeds in organic Vidalia® sweet onion production. Ammonium nonanoate combined with tine-weeder cultivation was evaluated for weed control in organic onion in Georgia. There were no statistical interactions between main effects of herbicides and cultivation with a tine weeder for cool-season weed control and onion yield, indicating that ammonium nonanoate does not improve weed control compared with cultivation. Ammonium nonanoate at 4% and 6% did not adequately control weeds and onion yields were reduced. Ammonium nonanoate at 8% and 10% controlled cutleaf evening-primrose and lesser swinecress equal to the standard of d-limonene (14%), but the degree of control did not consistently protect onion yields from losses due to weeds. These results are in agreement with previous studies using clove oil and pelargonic acid. There is no advantage to using ammonium nonanoate for cool-season weed control in organic Vidalia® sweet onion production.