The effect of using pre-emergence herbicides in spring on the control of summer weeds of cold climate orchards

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Plant Protection

2 Agriculture and Natural Resource Research Center of Zanjan

3 Plant Protection Research Department, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources ResearchCenter, AREEO, Shahrekord, Iran

10.22034/ijws.2024.366743.1466

Abstract

Weed control in orchards is a major year-round challenge for growers and is more intense from late winter to summer due to weed competition and interference with orchard management and harvesting operations. A common schedule is to apply a preemergent herbicide in late winter and apply a postemergent herbicide early spring and before harvest. This method will make summer weeds resistant to post emergent herbicides. The present research was conducted in order to investigate the effect of preemergent herbicide application in spring for the control of summer weeds after a mechanical control of winter weeds. The experiment was conducted with three repetitions based on completely randomized blocks design in three regions. The experimental treatments included the preemergent herbicides Indaziflam (Alion), Trifluralin (Treflan), Pendimethalin (Stump), postemergent Paraquat and no control check. The total means control of density and dry weight of weeds compared to control in Indaziflam plots with concentrations of 150 and 175 ml ha-1 was above 80% during the season (150 days). The strategy of using rotivator and Indaziflam with concentrations of 150 and 175 ml ha-1 showed similar results in all regions. Trifluralin, Pendimethalin, and paraquat maintained weed density 58, 48 and 60% and weed dry weight 58, 34, and 53% throughout the season, respectivly. It seems that the combination of mechanical control with Indaziflam preemergence herbicide in spring can be a suitable strategy for controlling orchard weeds along with reducing use of postemergent herbicides. By using Indaziflam, it is enough to apply it once during the season.

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