Strawberries (Fragaria X ananassa Duch. ‘Midway’) were grown in the field with and without the use of black plastic mulch. One to three postplant applications of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)-glycine] at 2.2, 4.5, and 5.6 kg/ha or paraquat (1,1′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium ion) at 0.6, 1.1, and 2.2 kg/ha were made as directed sprays between the rows in 1976 and 1977. Glyphosate was generally more effective than paraquat for controlling weeds during the entire growing season, although both gave adequate short-term control. When late-season applications were made during 1976, a residual weed control effect was observed from both herbicides during early 1977. Crop yield, fruit size, and fruit quality were not affected by either herbicide. Similar results were obtained in a separate experiment in which strawberries were grown utilizing plastic mulch.
