THE BEET SUGAR DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION FORT COLLINS, COLORADO
1947
CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL WEED ELIMINATION TEST.DETERMINATION TO MASTER THE WEED PROBLEMS WHICH TODAY FURNISH ONE OF THE MAIN OBSTACLES IN THE SPRING MECHANIZATION OF THE SUGAR BEET CROP, IS APPARENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY. ENCOURAGING WORK BOTH FROM A CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL APPROACH HAS BEEN NOTED. THE FINAL SOLUTIONS ARE STILL NOT AT HAND, MORE CHEM·ICALS ANO TOOLS HAVE TO BE TESTED, THEIR LOCAL ADAPTATIONS HAVE TO BE STUDIED, THEIR COSTS ANALYZED.
THE DIRECTORS OF THE BEET SUGAR DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION HAVE VOTED TO CARRY ON THIS WEED WORK IN MANY AREAS, THE STANDARDIZATION COMMITTEE OF THE FOUNDATION MET IN SAN FRANCISCO, ON JANUARY 13TH, AND PROPOSED THAT AS MUCH OF THE WORK ON WEED CONTROL AS POSSIBLE SHOULD BE CONDUCTED ON LARGER ACREAGES, LEAVING THE SMALL-ER PLOT TECHNIQUES TO TREATMENTS REQUIRING SUCH CONTROL. THE CHEMICAL TREATMENTS DUE TO LIMITED QUANTITIES OF MATERIALS MIGHT WELL FALL IN THIS CLASSIFICATION. DR. W,
W.
ROBBINS WILL PRESENT THE PLAN FOR THIS PHASE OF WEED CONTROL,THE MECHANICAL TOOLS FOR WEED CONTROL IN MOST INSTANCES ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE BEST RESULTS ON LARGER PLOTS. THE COMMITTEE FELT THAT IT WOULD BE UNDESIRA-BLE TO OUTLINE THE EXACT TOOLS TO BE USED INASMUCH AS THE TOOLS ON HAND IN DIFFER-ENT LOCALITIES MAY VARY. THEY ALSO FELT IT VERY DESIRABLE TO LET LOCAL INGENUITY ANO INITIATIVE PLAY A PART IN THE TESTS.
CERTAIN MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE SET FORTH. A COOPERATOR SHOULD TRY AT LEAST THREE MECHANICAL. METHODS IN ADDITION TO THE CHEMICAL WORK WHICH DR.
Roe-BINS WILL OUTLINE, THESE MAY BE TRIED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHEMICAL TREATMENTS ON SMALL PLOTS OR MAY BE USED ON LARGE FIELDS WITH AS LITTLE AS ONE TREATMENT ON EACH FIELD. FIELDS WITH INDIVIDUAL MECHANICAL TREATMENTS MAY BE WIDELY SEPARATED. SOME COOPERATORS MAY WISH TO TRY CERTAIN TREATMENTS IN SCATTERED AREAS UNDER THESUPERVISION OF SEVERAL PERSONS SO AS TO GET COMBINED EFFECTS, AN UNBIASED CHECK (HANO METHOD) SHOULD BE RUN IN EACH FIELD WITH THE MECHANICAL TREATMENTS IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. BEET STAND COUNTS AND WEED COUNTS SHOULD BE TAKEN IN EACH CASE (SIMPLE PROCEDURE TO BE OUTLINED LATER). WHEREVER POSSIBLE FINAL YIELD RESULTS (BULK DE-LIVERY BASIS) SHOULD BE TAKEN.
EACH COOPERATOR WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A WRITTEN REPORT ON HIS FINDINGS AT THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR. THE FOUNDATION WILL COMBINE THESE REPORTS ANO DISTRIBUTE THEM TO ITS MEMBERS. PICTURES ARE DESIRABLE. THE FOUNDATION WOULD APPRECIATE PRINTS OF ALL PICTURES TAKEN TO PLACE IN li'S CIRCULATING LIBRARY, CosT FIGURES ARE ALWAYS INTERESTING SO GIVE APPROXIMATE COSTS WHERE IT IS POSSIBLE TO 00 SO.
THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES WILL BE COOPERATING ON THESE TESTS: 1 •
2.
~:
5.
b.
7.
FARMERS & MANUFACTURERS BEET SUGAR ASSOCIATION, THE GREAT WESTERN SUGAR COMPANY,
UTAH-IDAHO SUGAR COMPANY, SPRECKELS SUGAR COMPANY,
THE AMERICAN CRYSTAL SUGAR COMPANY, THE AMALGAMATED SUGAR COMPANY, THE HOLLY SUGAR CORPORATION.
THE FOUNDATION WILL PAY UP TO
$1000
.00
FOR EXPENSES INCURRED TO EACH OF THE NAMED COOPERATORS.THIS REPORT IS INTENDED TO ACQUAINT THE COOPERATING COMPANIES WITH THE
GEN-ERAL IDEAS OF THIS YEAR'S TEST. INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS ON PROCEDURE ARE WELCOMED.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONDUCTING THE CHEMICAL WEED ELIMINATION TREATMENTS WILL BE
MAIL-ED AS SOON AS THEY ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE FOUNDATION.
SPRING WORK IS APPROACHING, HENCE EACH COOPERATOR WILL WANT TO MAKE PLANS FOR THE LOCATION OF THEIR TESTS AND THE TYPE OF MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT THEY WOULD LIKE TO USE.
