Chemical weed control in peppers

WEEDS ARE A PROBLEM in both direct seeded and transplanted bell and chili peppers in California. Cool weather during the early planting season results in slow emergence of direct-seeded pepper seedlings. Grower practice for chilies is to place seed 2 to 4 inches into moist soil and push-hoe the soil from above the germinating seedlings prior to emergence, thus removing the first crop of weed seedlings. Weeds which develop after the last cultivation (lay-by) may also cause difficulties during harvest. The availability of promising chemicals for weed control in peppers prompted the series of studies reported here to evaluate herbicides for direct-seeded and transplanted peppers under both furrow and sprinkler irrigation.