Annotation

The work presents comparative results of studies on examination of the effect of herbicide application on the species composition of the weed component in potato cultivation. The research investigates changes in the state of weed infesting and protection of potato crops against weeds for growing on the dark gray podzolized mid-loamy soil of the zone of sufficient moistening of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine under the influence of herbicide application.

The species composition of weeds was established and measures were taken to effectively control weediness in potato agrocenoses. The effect of herbicides on the overall weediness and individual dominant weed species in potato agrocenoses has been identified and patterns of change and type of weediness have been established.

The formation of weed coenoses in potato crops with the use of herbicides as a method of controlling the number of weeds, which introduced herbicides with different mechanism of action, was studied in the work. The studies have shown that in potato crops form a mixed type of weed dominates, particularly one-year late spring weeds. Weed sprouts in potato planting appear in two stages: the first – from planting to sprouts of the crop, and the second - from the phase of complete sprouting to the beginning of closing the tops in rows.

The studies have established that during the growing season, Galinsoga parviflora, Chenopodium album, Amaranthus retroflexus and Echinochloa crus-galli remained stably high per unit of account. It has been found that the degree of weed infestation in potato agrocenosis without the use of herbicides increases during the growing season: from 76 pcs/m2 (in the seedling phase) to 108 pcs / m2 (before harvesting).

The study found that a sequential use of Gesagard, 4 l/ha and Panthera, 1 l/ha, reduced the weed infestation of potato agrocenosis by 78 % as compared to control. As a result of the study, it was found that in the crop of potatoes when using such herbicides as Gezagard, 4 l/ha and Panthera, 1 l/ha formed the lowest weeds infestation – 23 pcs/m2 and the highest yield – 26.9 t/ha (+ 22.8 % to control).