Defoliation and plant mortality depended on both herbicide treatment and date of application. We suspected that repeated application of low rates would result in mortality than one application of a high rate, but we are still waiting for results of the double application. For example when treated in August with Remedy at one pound per acre there was 100 percent mortality in myrtles less that two inches tall, but there was 71 percent mortality in myrtles greater than two inches tall. Slightly better defoliation and mortality was observed with Remedy and Crossbow when applied in August compared to March. We measured carbohydrate content or energy reserves in roots on 28 day intervals throughout the year and found that carbohydrate content, which was mostly starch, followed a natural cycle where content was greater in March and April, declined until reaching a low in August, then rose steadily in the fall and winter.
Remedy is an organo-auxin herbicide, so the provisions of Florida's pesticide law apply.
Rob Kalmbacher is an agronomist with Ona AREC, and Joe Egar is with Dow chemical, Tampa. Percent defoliation and mortality of wax myrtle treated either 29 March or 23 August 1988 and Evaluated on 18 April 1989 at Deseret Ranch, Deer Park. Back to the Range Cattle Research and Education Center Home Page Back to the Publications Page Back to the Ona Reports Page.