Herbicide earns registration in grapes, nuts

A pre-emergent herbicide has gained California registration for use in grapes and nut crops, as well as nonbearing stone fruit.

Nichino America Inc. announced its Craze herbicide had earned the new registration. The company said Craze provides pre-emergence control of weeds that plague nut and vine crops, including cheeseweed (little mallow), filaree, fleabane, henbit, lambsquarters and marestail.

The manufacturer said Craze also offers pre-emergence suppression of grasses and yellow nutsedge, as well as postemergence activity on target weeds at the time of application.

Cathy Fleming-Wimer, product manager for Nichino America, said Craze also controls broadleaf weeds resistant or tolerant to postemergence herbicides.

"The strength of Craze is its activity on fleabane and marestail," Fleming-Wimer said. "That important benefit, along with providing broad-spectrum control of other susceptible weed species, makes Craze an excellent choice when considering herbicides in pre-emergence spray programs."

The manufacturer described the active ingredient in Craze, orthosulfamuron, as an HRAC Group 2 herbicide that works by inhibiting the plant enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS).

Fleming-Wimer said Craze may be used any time during the pre-emergence application period. She said it should be applied at 5.7 to 8.6 ounces per acre in combination with another effective pre-emergence herbicide, to enhance performance of the tankmix and increase weed control in vine and nut crops. The Craze label allows a maximum yearly dosage of 8.6 ounces per acre, with a maximum of one application per year.