Dynamics of weeds and integrated weed control in crop rotation with cereals

Miladin Nazarkov, Iliyana Gerasimova

Abstract: In arable soils weeds are the main competitors of agricultural crops in terms of water and nutrients, suppress growth reduce yields and profitability of production per unit area. The study aims to determine the dynamics of the wedding of cereal crops and to explore the possibilities for applying successful weed control under the conditions of Haplic Vertisols from the Sofia region. The influence of two increasing fertilizer norms and a non-fertilization control variant, two soil tillage systems (conventional and minimal), and chemical control with a herbicide mixture and a herbicide with complex action within a two-field crop rotation (maize-triticale) under non-irrigated conditions has been studied. It has been established that the agrotechnical factors tested - crop rotation, soil tillage, fertilization, and chemical control of weeds – positively impact the degree of weeding in Haplic Vertisols cereal crops. The mechanical tillage of the soil has a more significant impact than chemical application. In variants with the main soil tillage “loosening” (var.O1) the total general weeding and especially that of perennial root weeds are lower compared to the reduced tillage option (O2). In the case of wheat and triticale, after the spraying with the broad-spectrum herbicide Pallas 75 VG and for the maize with the herbicide mixture of Sirio 4 SK + Magneto against annual wheat and broadleaf weeds in both crops, a significant part of the weeds were removed from the whole experimental area.

Keywords: cereals crops; crop rotation; integrated control; maize; weeds; wheat and triticale

Date published: 2023-04-25