Evaluating Some Chemical and Mechanical Weed Management Methods Aiming to Reduce Herbicide Use in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)

In order to study of chemical and mechanical weed management methods and their integration in potato (Solanum tuberosum), a field experiment was done in 2008 at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad Research Field. Experimental design was completely randomize block design with 6 treatments and 3 replications. Treatment included broadcast herbicide application (standard treatment), between row cultivation, banded herbicide application (in-row), between row cultivation+banded herbicide (integrated treatment), and weed free and weed infested (controls). metribuzin (sencor) was applied as pre-emergence at 1.2 kg/ha product in all herbicide treatments. In broadcast and banded herbicide treatments, sencor was applied on entire plot and in row (in a 25 cm band over the row), respectively. Cultivation treatment was done 3 weeks after potato emergence. Results were showed significant effects of treatments on weed control percentage, density, and biomass, potato leaf area index and yield. Highest weed control percentage and so highest potato yield was obtained in weed free control, broadcast herbicide, cultivation+banded herbicide, banded herbicide and cultivation treatments, respectively. Highest potato yield was obtained in weed free control (34.43 t/ha) and after that broadcast herbicide (31.13 t/ha) and banded herbicide+cultivation (27.93 t/ha) resulted in higher yield than other weed control practices. Difference of weed control percentage, density, and biomass in banded herbicide+cultivation and broadcast treatments was not significant, also potato yield in banded herbicide+cultivation reduced no more than 10% relative to broadcast herbicide. Despites lower weed control level and potato yield in integrated treatment, herbicide use decreased 66% relative to broadcast application, which has significant importance from economical and environmental point of view.