The influence of herbicides combined with mechanical treatments on weed infestation, growth and yield of onion (Allium cepa L.)

Abstract

Field experiments were carried out in 2010-2012 at the Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice. The aim of this studies was to determine the response of drilled onion and weeds to herbicides combined with mechanical treatments, in comparison to the usages of herbicides and the impact of weed management methods on the weed infestation and the yield of onion. During the experiments the following herbicides were used: pendimethalin applied after sowing of onion or after emergences in mixture with bromoxynil, glyphosate pre-emergence and bromoxynil and oxyfluorofen post-emergence. Mechanical treatments were conducted at 2-4 and 3-5 leaves stage of onion. Studies shown that weed control depended on herbicides and their rates. Mechanical treatments performed after herbicides application caused strong reduction of infestation and advantageously influenced on the yield of onion. The highest yields were obtained from plots with regular hand weeded and after chemical weed control including the use of pendimethalin after sowing, glyphosate pre-emergence and bromoxynil post-emergence, with the split application method.