MOSS AND LIVERWORT

CONTROL IN NURSERIES

AND GREENHOUSES

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE

For Control of Mosses and Liverworts in Nurseries and Greenhouses

DeMoss™ Moss and Algicide is an effective tool for selective control of mosses (including Leptobrium spp., Pohlia spp., and Funaria spp.) and liverworts (Marchantia spp.) growing in nurseries and greenhouses.

Use DeMoss in greenhouses and nurseries as follows:

to control moss and liverwort growing in nursery beds, pots or other containers;

to control moss and liverwort growing on or beneath benches, in walkways or on walls or cooling pads of greenhouses or shadehouses;

without injury to surrounding plant material resulting from volatilization;

without corroding metal benches and equipment;

with low toxicity to nontarget organisms and the environment.

Formulation and Active Ingredients: DeMoss contains potassium salts of fatty acids that are extracted from plant and/or animal sources. Fatty acids occur naturally in many biological systems. DeMoss' inert ingredients are a combination of water and ethanol. DeMoss is readily biodegradable and will not persist in the environment.

Mode of Action: DeMoss acts on contact by disrupting the cuticle and cellular membranes of mosses, liverworts and other cryptogams resulting in desiccation and rapid death. DeMoss is active only while in solution and must contact the target moss or liverwort to be effective.

Steps for Controlling Moss and Liverwort Growing in Nursery Containers

1. Mosses and liverworts grow under cool, moist conditions on light, well drained soils, particularly "soilless media" that contains a high percentage of peat moss. Mosses and liverworts lack a developed root and vascular system and are dependent on moist conditions to maintain their turgidity. Allow the upper surface of potting soils to dry out between irrigations and promote air movement in production areas to inhibit moss and liverwort growth.

2. Use soils that are high in mineral content, or top dress container soils with sand to impair the development of mosses and liverworts.

3. Apply DeMoss to moss or liverwort growing in nursery containers and production areas. Direct spray to avoid contact with desirable foliage. Spray and drench the entire surface area of the moss or liverwort. Discoloration, desiccation and death of treated cryptogams will normally occur within 1-5 days depending on air temper-ature and relative humidity. Reapply DeMoss to infected areas if regrowth occurs.Use Guidelines For Controlling Moss And Liverwort with DeMoss

Rates: Dilute DeMoss at the concentration of one part to 20 parts water (6 fl.oz. per gallon).

Application: DeMoss acts as a desiccant and must contact all portions of targeted moss or liverwort to be effective. Direct sprays to avoid contact with desirable foliage. For spot treatments apply DeMoss to drench and saturate the patches of moss or liverwort. Apply DeMoss at the rate of 10 gallons of spray per 1000 square feet for large scale applications.

Interval: The desiccation of moss or liverwort treated with DeMoss will begin immediately and become visually apparent within hours, with death occurring in 3-7 days. The rate of activity is temperature dependent and may take longer under cool conditions. Retreat areas if moss or liverwort regrows.

Hard Water: Water is referred to as "hard" when it contains greater than 300 ppm of metal ions (calcium, magnesium, iron, etc.). The fatty acid salts in DeMoss will bind with metal ions and precipitate if mixed with hard water. Precipitation can result in reduced sprayability of the spray solution due to insoluble clumps, and/or reduced pest control effectiveness. Compatibility agents should be used to improve performance in hard water. A simple jar test as described in Mycogen's technical bulletin "Hard Water Testing" can help determine the need for a compatibility (or conditioning) agent.

Mixing: Add the required amount of DeMoss to the spray water. DeMoss mixes readily with soft water to form a true solution, so vigorous agitation is not required. When tank mixing DeMoss with other pesticides, add pesticides in the following order: conditioning agents, wettable or soluble powders, flowable liquids, emulsifiable concentrates, followed by DeMoss. Use a defoaming agent to control excessive foaming, if necessary.

Phytotoxicity: DeMoss can cause yellowing of foliage, necrotic areas and death when applied to the foliage of woody and herbaceous plants. Immediately wash from desirable foliage with cool water if unintentional spray drift occurs. The following plants that are reported to be very sensitive to DeMoss: Acer spp., azaleas, Berberis spp., Camellia spp., Chanoneles texas 'scarlet', Cornus stolonifera, Erica spp., Fagus sylvestris, Hypericum spp., Iberis sempervirens, Rhododendron spp., and Viburnum rhytidifolium.

The following plants are reported to be mildly sensitive to DeMoss: Andromeda polifolia, Hibiscus spp., Kalmia spp., and Vinca minor.

The foliage of the following plants has been reported to be non-sensitive to DeMoss: Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Buxus spp., Gaultheria shalon, Hebe buxifolia, Leucothe 'Rainbow', Pachysandra spp., Phlox subulata, Pinus spp., Taxus spp., and Viburnum davidi.

Replanting: DeMoss lacks residual or preemergent activity. When replanting or seeding treated soil, best results will be achieved if treated liverwort and moss are allowed to fully desiccate and are removed prior to planting.

Restrictions and Limitations

Certain plant species are sensitive to applications of DeMoss. Avoid spraying desirable foliage and vegetation.

Treated surfaces may become temporarily slippery. Restrict traffic until spray has dried.

Tank mix combinations with various foliar nutrients, pesticides containing metallic ions (such as zinc, iron, etc.) or chlorothalanil may be physically incompatible and ultimately phytotoxic.

DeMoss may leave a temporary white residue on newly installed brick or other surfaces with a high lime or calcium content.

This bulletin contains new or supplemental instructions for the use of this product that may not appear on the package label. Mycogen provides this use information in accordance with Section 2(ee) of FIFRA.

Always read and carefully follow product labels.

DeMoss is a trademark of Mycogen Corporation. EPA Reg. No. 53219-4 MYX JJ# 2159 9/93