Author: Christopher Smigell
Planning Unit: Horticulture
Major Program: Commercial Horticulture
Outcome: Initial Outcome
A blueberry plant nursery owner in Warren County was using a volatile form of the herbicide 2,4-D to treat weeds around a block of several hundred potted plants. He contacted me when all of these plants began to show distortion. I confirmed that 2,4-D was causing this leaf distortion, but that it was also possible that the plants might grow out of the damage. He was able move the plants from the sprayed area, and use irrigation and mild fertilization to recover most of these plants. I explained the volatility and potential drift that can occur with some 2,4-D formulations, and that it is not labeled for use in blueberry anyway. He estimated that he was able to save plants with a value of about $15,000, but also avoided damaging many other plants, by discontinuing use of 2,4-D that summer.
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