Non-selective herbicide applicators for weed control in no-tillage snap beans

A hooded sprayer and a rope-wick applicator were designed and constructed for application of glyphosate or paraquat in the row middles of no-tillage snap beans. The objectives of the study were to design and construct the applicators and to evaluate their effectiveness for interrow weed control. Rows of snap beans received chemical treatment in two parts. Treatments were either preemergence banded or preemergence broadcast with a dinoseb and pendimethalin tank mix immediately after planting. Approximately five weeks later, the row middles received an application of either paraquat or glyphosate from one of the interrow applicators. Weed data were collected from the drill (number and species per 6 linear feet) and in the row middles (number and species per 4 square feet). Treatment means and specific treatment contrasts were determined from the data. The results showed that a one-time preemergence application of a dinoseb + pendimethalin tank mix did not provide adequate weed control throughout the entire growing season. Both interrow applicators were effective for controlling weeds in the row middles of plots treated with the tank mix. However, the hooded applicator provided better control of interrow weeds than the rope-wick applicator. Findings also indicated no difference in the effectiveness of glyphosate and paraquat, applied by the hooded sprayer, for weed control in the row middle.