Bio-based Weed Control in Strawberries Using Sheep Wool Mulch, Canola Mulch, and Canola Green Manure

Report on University of Minnesota research conducted on the use of wool mulch and a canola cover crop/living mulch for weed suppression in the production of strawberries in Minnesota.Strawberry producers in Minnesota, and elsewhere, have lost or are soon to lose many of the chemical weed control options which they previously depended upon, i.e. Dacthal, methyl bromide, etc. Over reliance upon a small number of herbicides may be expected in the near future which could result in additional problems, both agricultural and legal, for producers. As a consequence of these actions and possibilities, producers of many horticultural crops are now desperate for management systems that include viable alternatives for weed control. Our proposed experiment with strawberries may serve as a model that has relevance to a number of other high value fruit and vegetable crops such as broccoli, cabbage, leeks, melons, tomatoes, and zucchini, to name a few. Our objective is to reduce herbicide use in strawberry production through two mechanisms. The first involves research and demonstration of combined biological, cultural, and mechanical weed control, which is itself an example of integrated weed management. The second involves the substitution of a renewable resource-based fumigant/ herbicide/mulch for weed management in strawberries, a crop directly consumed by the public