THE EFFECT OF HERBICIDES ON SEGETAL VEGETATION IN THE CORN AGROPHYTOCENOSIS

Abstract

An important agrotechnical measure in corn cultivation is the effective protection of crops from weeds. Field studies on the weed infestation of the corn agrophytocenosis were carried out in 2023–2024 at the Podillia Research Center of Podillia State University. In crops of the DUBLICKS corn hybrid, 14 species of annual weeds and 8 species of perennial weeds were identified. The structure of annual weeds was dominated by late spring species, accounting for 45 % (Amaranthus retroflexus L., Xanthium strumarium L., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Setaria glauca L., Euphorbia helioscopia L., Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Roem.), and early spring species, accounting for 32 % (Polygonum persicaria L., Chenopodium album L., Sinapis arvensis L., etc.). Among perennial weeds, the most common were root-sprouting species (Convolvulus arvensis L. and Cirsium arvense L.) and rhizomatous species (Elytrigia repens L. and Equisetum arvense L.). A small proportion of the weed species composition was represented by perennial taproot weeds (Artemisia vulgaris L. and Rumex confertus Willd.). Taking into account different types of weed infestation in crops, combinations of soil-applied and post-emergence (insurance) herbicides were studied. The results showed that post-emergence herbicides provided higher yields compared to the soil-applied herbicide Primextra TZ Gold 500 SC. At the same time, their effectiveness significantly increased when combined with the soil herbicide, ensuring a yield increase of 0.26–0.97 t/ha in 2023 and 0.07–0.77 t/ha in 2024. The most effective control of segetal vegetation in the corn agrophytocenosis was achieved using the post-emergence herbicides Laudis and Elumis in combination with the soil-applied herbicide Primextra TZ Gold 500 SC, which ensured control of early spring weeds at 94–100 %, late spring weeds at 85–100 %, and perennial weeds at 82–100 %, as well as a maximum yield of 11.0–14.29 t/ha.