Developing Practical Methods for Reducing Hand Hoeing Requirements in Chile

PI: Brian Schutte
High costs for hand hoeing reduce the amount of money farmers make from chile production. To address this constraint on farmer profits, we will evaluate two promising methods for reducing hand hoeing expenses in chile production. Specifically, we will assess (1) a new use for a commonly used herbicide, and (2) a mustard cover crop with biofumigation potential. Provided that our research indicates that each method is both safe and effective in reducing hand hoeing requirements, we believe that these methods are likely to be implemented by chile farmers across New Mexico.