2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16
Increasing the yield of potatoes in agricultural enterprises implies, among other things, a tense fight against weeds. Weeds are much more unpretentious to growth factors than cultivated plants, so potatoes without human help will always lose to them the fight for living space, nutrients, water and light. qualities of potato tubers, the troubles for farmers do not end there. Many of the weeds form a kind of incubator, where insect pests and all kinds of plant pathogens feel at ease. And the fact that clogged potato plantings are poorly ventilated greatly increases the risk of being hit by the scourge of all nightshade - late blight. Therefore, where potatoes are not treated with herbicides, their losses can reach three-quarters of the planned harvest.
Opponents of the use of chemicals as an argument cite the fact that potatoes are row crops, which meansagainst weeds it is possible to apply repeated intensive mechanical processing. However, its downside is the constant risk of damage to the tops and root system of potatoes, the transmission of a viral infection, and the drying up of the soil.
It follows that the best way to control weeds is herbicides for potatoes, combined with machine tillage.
The dose of herbicides used depends on the mechanical composition of the soil and the content of humus in it. Heavy soil binds some of the drugs, so their dose approaches the maximum allowable. In the lightest soils, it is recommended to apply doses that are a quarter less than optimal. A feature of the development of perennial weeds is that with the onset of autumn, nutrients in them move from the leaves to the root system. As a result, they become more susceptible to herbicides that penetrate the plant tissues through the stomata of the leaves.
Herbicides for potatoes are applied at a temperature of +15…+25 degrees. The effectiveness of the preparations is reduced by a lower temperature or precipitates that have fallen 4-8 hours after treatment. 2-3 weeks after spraying, complete death of weeds occurs.
When applying herbicides, it is necessary that:
- tubers are planted in ridges at an optimal depth so that soil preparations do not reach the zone of potato sprouts;
- the ridges settled well;- the soil had a loose, lumpy structure and was moist so that the herbicides were evenly distributed and "worked" effectively.
The use of herbicides on potatoes is not recommended if the tubers are shallowly planted, affected by frost, diseases, pests, and also if these potato varieties show high sensitivity to herbicides, reacting to them with a delay in growth and development, anomalies in the leaf apparatus and tubers.
Potato herbicides are mainly applied to cultivated areas by sprayers mounted on ground trailers or on agricultural aircraft. For the most part, these drugs are classified as medium- and low-toxic chemicals, however, when working with herbicides, you must follow the same safety rules as when working with pesticides. In conclusion, it is worth emphasizing that herbicides for potatoes are chemical weed suppression method, the use of which is justified if other methods have not reduced the infestation of crops to a safe level.
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