Herbicide combination efficacy and potato yield in agro-ecological conditions of Dragačevo

Abstract

The results of the three-year herbicide efficacy investigation (metribuzin, linuron, and prometryn, combined with bentazone, fluazifop-P-buthyil and pendimethalin) on the potato yield will been presented. The investigated herbicide combinations influenced the species of weed, the number and the biomass decrease. The highest average coefficients of efficacy were attained by the combination: metribuzin + pendimethalin (88,1) and linuron + fluazifop-P-butyil (86,9). Regarding a control plot without herbicide application, all investigated combinations showed significant increase of potato yield. The highest average yields in the period 1991-1993, were achieved by the combination of metribuzin + fluazifop-P-butyl (26,2 t · ha-1) and prometryn + pendimethalin (25,9 t · ha-1), which produced a significant increase with regard to most of the investigated variants. Considerable differences in average potato yield have verified between the years of investigation. The statistically significant interaction between herbicide efficacy and year of investigation was affected by the different effects of the applied herbicide combination on potato yield, depending on various meteorological conditions in the particular years. The strong correlation between potato yield and weediness was concluded upon, for the weed number influence (r = 0,902**) as well as for the weed biomass (r = 0,868**).