Efficacy of dodder (Cuscuta campestris) Control Methods in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

In order to evaluate the dodder (Cuscuta campestris) control methods in tomato an experiment was conducted based on randomized complete block design with 11 treatments and four replications (in box) at the Research Farm of Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz in 2016. The dodder control treatments were including application of glyphosate with 100 g ai.ha-1 (infestation at 3-4- and 5-6-leaf stage of tomato), application of glyphosate with 150 g ai.ha-1 (infestation at 3-4- and 5-6-leaf stage), application of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon) water extract at ratio of 1:10 (m/v) (infestation at 3-4- and 5-6-leaf stage), application of  vinegar at ratio of 1:10 (m/v) (infestation at 3-4- and 5-6-leaf stage application of  auxin at concentration of 0.1% (infestation at 3-4- and 5-6-leaf stage) and dodder-free treatment. Results indicated that dodder biomass, seed number and seed weight per box and tomato fruit yield were affected by dodder management treatments. Application of Bermuda grass water extract at 3-4-leaf stage had the highest dodder biomass (29.3 g per box) and application of glyphosate at 100 and 150 g ai.ha-1 had the lowest dodder biomass (7.9 and 10.1 g per box, respectively). The greatest dodder seed number per plant were observed in vinegar, Bermuda grass water extract and  auxin application treatments and the glyphosate application treatments had the lower dodder seed number per box. The highest tomato fruit yield (110.8 g.plant-1) was obtained in auxin application at 5-6-leaf stage that was not significantly different with vinegar and glyphosate at 100 g ai.ha-1 applications in this stage. Generally application of auxin and vinegar could be recommended to the growers as alternative of glyphosate for dodder management in organic production of tomato.