Many producers raise onions in rotation with potatoes.
Volunteer potatoes are extremely competitive with onions and are not effectively controlled with herbicides currently registered for use on onions. Volunteer potatoes can serve as an inoculum source for late blight, verticillium wilt, viruses, and nematodes. Starane, a new herbicide registered for volunteer-potato control in wheat and corn, may effectively control volunteer potatoes in onions. A trial was conducted to evaluate Starane alone and in combinations with other herbicides for volunteer-potato control and onion tolerance. A trial was established at the Malheur Experiment Station to evaluate Starane, Buctril, Goal, and Nortron for volunteer-potato control in onions.