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NJAES Faculty Expertise Database

Bradley Majek Bradley Majek
Extension Specialist
 Plant Biology and Pathology
Rsrch&Dvlpmt Ctr
Ext Spc Res & Dev
88 Lipman Drive C/O per
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Phone: 856-455-3100
Fax: 856-455-3133
Email: majek@aesop.rutgers.edu
Website: aesop.rutgers.edu/~plantbiopath/faculty/majek/majek.html

Expertise Summary
  Study the growth, development, reproduction and competitive ability of weeds, and use this information to develop new weed control practices. Evaluate the effectiveness of crop response to and cost potential of cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical methods of controlling weeds in vegetables and tree fruit. Determine the fate of herbicides in plants and the environment.Hoeing and hand weeding is useful to eliminate weeds that escape other control measures, but is prohibitively expensive when used as the only method of controlling weeds in the crop row. Herbicides can safely, effectively and economically control many weeds in a variety of crops. To use herbicides to their greatest advantage safely as understanding of their mode of action, weed biology and the fate of the chemical in the environment and in the crop is needed. Herbicide residues in the soil affect the crops that can be planted after the treated crop is harvested and may contaminate groundwater. Crops that can be planted after a treated crop is harvested may be restricted because herbicide residue may injure the following crop, or more commonly, because noresearch has been conducted.Biological control techniques provide unique permanent solutions to specific weed problems. Unfortunately the control level may be below the economic threshold level required by many vegetable and fruit crops. Insect and disease control practices in a crop frequently also control beneficial organisms. Research is needed to determine when biological weed control is possible, and how to maximize the results. Control of weeds using cultural practices is integrated into the practices of most farmers, but many have abandoned useful procedures due to cost. Others have adopted practices that reduce disease of improve yield and solved or created weed control problems inadvertently. The use of black plastic for early yield, moisture retention, and disease controlsolved a weed problem in the row, but created one between the rows by eliminating cultivation as a control measure along the edges.

Research Projects
  • Weed Control in Fruit Crops

    • Selected Publications
    Crop Profiles for Summer and Winter Squash in New Jersey
      Journal: Information Network for Pesticides and Alternative Strategies
     Authors: Infante-Casella, M.L., G. Ghidiu, B.A. Majek
    Volume: 2nd Edition    Pages: 1-21
    Date Published: 2003
    Manual control of thorny mimosa (Mimosa invisa) in Cassava (Manihot esculenta)
      Journal: Weed Technology
     Authors: Alabi, B.S., A.O. Ayeni, A.A. Agboola, and B.A. Majek
    Volume: 18    Pages: 2004
    Orchard floor management influence on summer annual weeds and young peach tree performance
      Journal: Weed Technology
     Authors: Belding, R. O., B. A. Majek, G. R. Lokaj, J. Hammerstedt and A. O. Ayeni
    Volume: 18 Date Published: 2004
    Orchard floor preparation did not affect early peach tree performance on Aura Sandy Loam
      Journal: Hort. Technology
     Authors: Belding, R.D., B.A. Majek, G.R. Lokaj, J. Hammerstedt and A.O. Ayeni
    Volume: 13    Pages: 321-324
    Date Published: 2003

     

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