Weeding of safflower crops under the influence of agricultural treatments on non-herbicide and herbicide background

Abstract

Weeds are a big problem with safflower crops. To control weeds, it is necessary to develop an effective system of herbicide use and mechanical methods of weed control for arid conditions of the Southern steppe of Ukraine. In weed–infested fields, the protein content of cereals decreases and that of oilseeds in oil fields. Weed reduction reduces the productivity of agricultural machinery and implements, increases production costs. Weeds reduce the effectiveness of fertilizers, irrigation and other measures aimed at increasing crop yields. The article presents the main results of research for 2017–2019 to study the impact of agricultural practices for the care of safflower crops on herbicide and herbicide–free backgrounds on the weediness of safflower crops. The research was conducted in the fields of the Institute of Oilseeds of NAAS. The system of the main tillage: classical. Variants of the crop care system: 1 – without care (control); 2 – harrowing before and after germination; 3 – 2 row spacing; 4 – harrowing and inter–row cultivation. Application of soil herbicide led to a decrease in the total number of weeds before harvesting in crops of safflower variety Zhyvchyk by 9,3–16,0 and in crops of variety Dobrynya by 8,3–17,7 pieces/m2. The number of weeds before harvesting was the lowest in the variants with two inter–row treatments and was equal to: 16,0 pieces/m2 – on a background with out herbicide and 6,7 pieces/m2–on a herbicide background in crops of Zhyvchyk variety; 14,3 and 6,0 pieces/m2, respectively, in crops of Dobrynya variety. The lowest values of air–dry mass of weeds before harvesting: 81,5 and 39,6 g/m2 in crops of Zhyvchyk variety and 84,3 and 36,9 g/m2 were obtained in the variant with two inter–row treatments. The highest yields were provided by growing safflower varieties using post–emergence harrowing + inter–row cultivation: on a herbicide–free background – 1,35 t/ha in the variety Zhyvchykand 1,40 t/ha in the variety Dobrynya, on a herbicide background 1,54 and 1,64 t/ha, respectively. Key words: safflower, variety, agricultural production, herbicide, weed, yield.