Everglades Experiment Station
Belle Glade, Florida
iimrographed Report No. 25
(Horticulture)
-;HS:-)
FURTHER EXPERIENCE WITH SOLVENT NAPTHAS
FOR WEEDING CELERY SEEDBEDS AND THE EFFECTS
OF CONTAMINATION WITH VARIOUS OILS UPON
PLANT GROWTH
James C. Hoffman
March 19h9
FURTHER EXPERIENCE VITH SOLVENT NAPIHAS FOR FEEDING CELERY
SEEDBEDS AND THE EFFECTS OF CONTAMINATION WITH VARIOUS OILS
UPON PLANT GROWTH
1948 h9
James C. Hoffman
This paper is a continuation of the study of wepding celery seed-
beds with solvent napthas (1,2). The purpose of the study, procedure, mat-
erials and methods of this reported are identical to the previous work.
The solvent napthas used in the experiments here reported were
obtained from the following sources:
Sovasol No. 5. Socony-Vacuum Oil Company
Stanisol. Standard Oil Company of Indiana
K yso. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
"Contaminating" oils. Standard Oil Company of New Jersey
Stoddard Solvent. Gulf Oil Company
Short Top Pride Celery was planted to open type seedbeds Novem-
ber 6, 1948, and the treatments were applied after seeding as listed in
Tables 1 and 2. Each spray was applied at the approximate rate of 35 gal-
longs per acre. Single plots 15 feet in length were established for con-
tamination studies and single 1 square foot samples were taken at random
from each plot. The plots listed as unsprayed (Table 1) were hand-weeded
and the Check (Table 2) was sprayed with Stoddard Solvent. All plots and
treatments as listed in Table 2 were sprayed on the 16th day after seeding
with Stoddard Solvent in addition to the contaminated spray applied on the
30th day after seeding.
Discussion of Results
As described in three previous experiments (2) the differences
between any of the data presented in Table 1 are not considered significant,
since the treatment variance is not significantly larger than the error
variance. These results indicate that celery seedbeds and plants sprayed
with solvent napthas in this experiment produced plants equally as good in
quality for transplanting as those grown upon the unsprayed, hand-weeded
beds.
Due to possibilities of contamination of solvent napthas, that
are used for weeding celery seedbeds, a preliminary experiment has been
conducted where 10 per cent contamination of Stoddard Solvent with each of
several oils have been studied. It seems very unlikely that contamination
would ever be greater than 10 per cent and especially in the case of motor
oils.
The data presented in Table 2 where Stoddard Solvent was contam-
inated 10 per cent by volume indicate some differences that are detrimental
Page 2..
to the growth and production of celery plants. Stoddard Solvent contamin-
ated with 10 per cent motor oil SAE 30 and applied 30 days after seeding as
a herbicide greatly reduced the plant stand, total green weight per unit
area and dry weight as compared to the check where only Stoddard Solvent
was used. There wes visible evidence of burn which apparently was due to
the motor oil contamination. Tractor Fuel. caused a slight reduction in
green and dry weight, however, there wns no visible injury, the plants being
in excellent condition at transplanting time. The seedbeds and plants
sprayed with Stoddard Solvent contaminated with 10 per cent Diesel Fuel,
Kerosene and Gasoline produced plants equally as good in quality for trans-
planting as those sprayed with only Stoddard Solvent.
Motor oil SAE 30 when added at the rate of 10 per cent by volume
to Stoddard Solvent causes the solution to develop a light brown color.
There is a possibility that contamination by Motor oil could be readily
detected by the celery grower and such injury could easily be avoided.
Literature Cited
1. Hoffman, James C. feeding celery seedbeds with solvent
napthas. Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta. Press Bul. 651. April, 1948.
2. Hoffman, James C. 'i'eeding celery seedbeds with solvent
napthas. Everglades-Exp. Sta. "imeographed Report No. 18,
October, 1948.
TABLE 1. NUMER AND WEIGHT OF SHORT TOP PRIDE, CELERY PLANTS SPRAYED WITH SOLVENT NAPTHAS fND
HARVESTED 89 DAYS AFTER SE7DIhm, 1948 49.
Sovasol Stanisol Stoddard Unsprayed
Treatments No. 5 L-3388 Solvent K#yso (Hand-weeded)
Days after seeding 16 16 16 16
Total number plants 38 32 36 27 28
Green Weight (grams) 529 542 532 h46 398
Dry Weight (grams) 26.60 22.36 26.00 23.34 19.74
Per cent dry weight 5.03 5.06 4.89 5.23 4.96
Average of 5 random samples 1 square foot each.
TABLE 2. THE EFFECTS OF CONTAMINATINMC STODDARD SOLVENT WITH VARIOUS OILS FOR WEEDING
CELERY SEEDBEDS, 1948 492
Stoddard Solvent o C L. S. D.
0 OH Oa0 0 0_0________
o coC $o 5o % 1
Contaminated with 10 per cent- O g 5 1E%-
Days after seeding 30 30 30 30 30 30
Total number plants 15 31 32 35 33 38 8 11
Green weight (grams) 193 423 353 446 455 479 68 93
Dry weight (grams) 11.94 25.16 21.44 24.94 23.06 24.54 3.52 4.80
Per cent dry weight 6.20 5.95 6.08 5.59 5.07 5.13
,i T
2 Average of random samples 1 square foot each, harvested
Average of 5 random samples 1 square foot each, harvested
89 days after seeding.
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