Natural Plant By-Products and Mulching Materials to Suppress Weeds and Improve Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Yield and Quality

Abstract

To reduce the use of herbicides in agriculture, there is an urgent need to look for cost-effective and environmentally friendly non-chemical methods to control weeds in field crops. Plant by-products could be exploited directly as plant residues or indirectly as plant extracts for weed control. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of several plant wastes and extracts in controlling weeds of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris) with enhancing yield and quality. Three weed control groups of twelve practices were examined. The first weed control group included three aqueous extract concentrations (15, 20, and 25%) of Plectranthus amboinicus L. The second weed control group involved six soil mulching plant materials [rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) hay, peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) straw, mango (Mangifera indica L.) leaves, flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) meal, and soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) meal], while the third group comprised of desmedipham/ethofumesate/lenacil/phenmedipham (DELP) herbicide 1.5 L ha −1 [desmedipham 70.5 g active ingredient (ai) ha −1 + ethomesufate 112.5 g ai ha −1 + lenacil 40.5 g ai ha −1 + phenmedipham 90 g ai ha −1 ], hoeing, and unweeded check. During a 2-year field trial (2019/20 and 2020/21), the 12 weed control treatments arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Compared to the recommended applications (hoeing and herbicide), reduction averages of both seasons for total weeds biomass were 46.3-54.2%, 37.3-46.4%, and 23.0-34.4% due to rice straw, wheat hay, and mango leaves, respectively. Root and sugar yields of sugar beet divulged the highest values with hoeing in both seasons statistically equaling (P ≥ 0.05) rice straw and wheat hay for root yield and wheat hay for sugar yield in the first season. Except flax meal, all weeded treatments in the first season as well as mango leaves, wheat hay, peanut straw, and hoeing in the second one caused significant (P ≤ 0.05) reductions in sodium content of beet juice. Wheat hay, mango leaves, and hoeing in both seasons, in addition to rice straw, peanut straw, and herbicide in the first season, were the most efficient practices for improving sucrose % and extractable sugar %. Compared to hoeing, reductions in net return were -286.7 and -320.0 ($ ha −1 ) by percentage of 6.5 and 7.2, due to mulching soil by rice straw and wheat hay, respectively. Recycling the plant by-products such as wheat hay, rice straw, peanut straw, or mango leaves in the form of soil mulch could serve as safe and eco-friendly tools in weed control programs of sugar beet. The beneficial effect of mulching extended to enhance root and sugar yields with low impurities. Since the plant wastes are available in the farm, better revenues will be gained for sugar beet growers. Further investigations related to the use of plant extracts as natural herbicide should be performed to reach acceptable levels for weed control.

Breaking Dormancy and Enhancing Germination of Avena sterilis L. and Amaranthus retroflexus L. Weeds by Gibberellic Acid and Potassium Nitrate to Keep Soil and Crops Healthy

“…Due to weed competition, the availability of water and nutrients to the economic plants remarkably reduced (Saudy et al 2020;El-Metwally et al 2022a). Hence, quantitative and qualitative traits of the final product were significantly decreased (Saudy and Abd-Elmomen 2009;Saudy and El-Metwally 2009;El-Metwally et al 2022b).…”

Ecological weed management and square planting influenced the weed management, and crop productivity in direct-seeded rice

“…In contrast, inverse occurred at 60 DAS, where P S observed 23.93%, 26.64%, 18.03%, and 22.67% lower weed densities of grasses, sedges, broadleaf, and total weeds, respectively, than P N . Lower weed densities in P S geometry may be due to weed growth smothering as a result of uniform plant-to-plant and row-to-row spacing 30 , 36 . Square planting further encourages crops to compete with weeds as a result of the better availability of space, light, and nutrients 18 , 37 , 38 .…”

“…Mulching crop residue is a promising practice to suppress weed emergence and conserve moisture; however, this is almost impossible for large farms. The amount of rice straw is plentiful in the RWCS of northern India, and generally farmers burn the residues for easier and faster wheat planting 30 . The burning of residues pollutes the environment by emitting gases that are hazardous to human and environmental health 5 .…”

The effect of modifier and a water-soluble fertilizer on two forages grown in saline-alkaline soil

“…It has been documented that amending soils, especially that suffering from environmental stresses, has a favorable effect on different soil properties [26][27][28]. Thus, soil productivity and crop quality were improved by exploiting the recycled plant residues [29][30][31]. Biochar is a novel soil modifier method for saline-alkali soil that significantly improves soil nutrients and properties [32,33].…”