Tillage implement effects on herbicide efficacy and the yield of cotton grown under a sprinkler or drip irrigation system

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during 2003 and 2004 at four locations in northern Greece to evaluate the effects of tillage implements and herbicide treatments on the weed control and yield of cotton grown under a mobile sprinkler or drip irrigation system. The tillage implements consisted of three seedbed preparation tillage implements: a field cultivator with a double rolling basket, a disk harrow or a rotary harrow.The herbicide treatments consisted of a broadcast preplant-incorporated (PPI) application of trifluralin or S-metolachlor followed by pre-emergence (PRE)-applied prometryn, a PRE 38 cm band application of S-metolachlor plus fluometuron or a broadcast PPI application of S-metolachlor followed by early postemergence-applied trifloxysulfuron-sodium. In most cases, the PPI applications followed by the PRE application of prometryn resulted in the greatest control of black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), and common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.). The control of black nightshade and common lambsquarters was slightly reduced when the herbicides were incorporated by rotary harrow.The cotton yield was not affected in most cases by the tillage implements, while the drip irrigation system provided a greater or similar cotton yield as compared with the sprinklers. The PPI application of trifluralin followed by the PRE-applied prometryn in the cotton grown under drip irrigation provided the greatest lint yield in most cases. Therefore, a drip irrigation system and disk harrow or field cultivator implement could be used as the first choice of cotton growers in integrated crop management production systems.

Application of Pre and Post Emergence Herbicide Under Improved Field Irrigation System Proved a Sustainable Weed Management Strategy in Cotton Crop

“…However, these practices are more expensive, difficult to conduct and laborious, thus, farmers were still in need for better weed management to enhance crop yield. Moreover, weeds cannot be fully eliminated among the crop (Irshad and Cheema, 2004;Dadari and Kuchinda, 2004;Ali et al, 2005;Papageorgiou et al, 2008;Ali et al, 2013a). Integrated weed management is an attractive environmentally friendly practice to eliminate weeds.…”

Effects of Cropping System (Organic and Conventional) on the Fiber Quality Index, Spinning Consistency Index and Multiplicative Analytic Hierarchy Process of Cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.)

“…In many countries, including Greece, cotton is one of the major industrial plants (Avgoulas et al, 2005) but is also one of the main manufacturing fiber plants (Papageorgiou et al, 2008). Cotton is the purest source of cellulose (content nearly 90%) and the most significant natural fiber.…”