Integrated weed control in the potato plant and its effect on productivity

This study was conducted on one of the farms affiliated with Heet District, Anbar Governorate, for the spring season of 2022 to study the efficiency of metribuzin herbicide alone or with mulching black plastic and hoeing in controlling potato weeds and the role of the factors mentioned in the vegetative characteristics of potatoes and yield according to the RCBD. The results indicated the effect of metribuzin at a rate of 400 g/ha with mulching by reducing the total weed density and their dry weight by 19.0 plants per m2 and 43.0 g, respectively. It did not differ significantly from metribuzin at a rate of 800 g/ha with 16.0 plants per m2 and 29.7 g, respectively. The study showed the efficiency of metribuzin at a rate of 400 g/ha in combination with one or two hoeings to reduce the weed density to 19.3 and 10.6 plants per m2, respectively, and dry weights of 30.0 and 24.3 g. The effect was reflected in plant heights and vegetative dry weight. The integration treatment between the herbicide at half the recommended rate and mulching achieved an increase in the rates and gave 82.3 cm and 63.3 g, respectively. It did not differ from the herbicide treatment at the recommended rates of 79.0 cm and 60.3 g, respectively. Also, the efficiency of metribuzin combined with one or two hoeings in plant height and total vegetative dry weight of 73.6 cm is 1 and 57.3 g per one hoeing, respectively, and 70.6 cm and 53.0 g for the two hoeings, respectively, reflecting on yields by increasing this weight. The integration treatment between the herbicide at half the recommended rate and mulching increased the rates and gave 41.1 tons/ha, which did not differ significantly from the herbicide treatment at the recommended rate of 44.9 tons/ha. While the use of metribuzin at half the recommended rate in combination with one or two hoeings affected the total yield by giving 41.0 tons/ha for one hoeing and 45.8 tons/ha for the two hoeings, the results indicate that the positive effects have been associated with an increase in plant protein and chlorophyll content.