The Effect of Herbicides and Cultural Practices on Weed Communities in Vineyards: An Ohio Survey

Abstract

Thirty-one Ohio vineyards were surveyed in 2004 to document weeds that persisted following weed control practices. Weeds were identified and density was determined during visits to each vineyard. Herbicide-use history, grape varieties, and grape age were recorded during interviews with the growers. Data were analyzed by SAS 9.1 with the use of the generalized linear model (GLM), and means were compared according to Student–Newman–Keuls (SNK) at the 0.05 level. Crabgrass, dandelion, pigweed, foxtail, fall panicum, clover, chickweed, common ragweed, smartweed, and oxalis were the most prevalent 10 weeds in Ohio vineyards based on relative abundance values. The frequency and density of crabgrass, dandelion, fall panicum, oxalis, and common purslane were significantly higher in vineyards in which glyphosate was the only herbicide used than in vineyards where other herbicides were applied. The number of species and density were higher in vinifera vineyards that had been hilled for winter protection than in vineyards that had not been hilled.Nomenclature: Glyphosate, chickweed, Stellaria media (L.) Vill. or Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare (Hartman) Greuter & Burdet, clover, Trifolium repens L. or Trifolium pratense L., common purslane (Portulaca oleracea), common ragweed, Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., crabgrass, Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., dandelion, Taraxacum officinale G.H. Weber ex Wiggers, fall panicum, Panicum dichotomiflorum Michx., foxtail, Setaria faberi Herrm. or Setaria pumila (Poir.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes or Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv., oxalis, Oxalis corniculata L., pigweed, Amaranthus hybridus L. or Amaranthus retroflexus L., smartweed, Polygonum pensylvanicum L., vinifera grape, Vitis vinifera L