Determination of the most troublesome weed species infesting sunflower fields in Çukurova Region and investigation of opportunities for broomrapes management using agroecological herbicides

Sunflower crop has an important share in oil and confectionery production in Turkey. However, the current Turkey sunflower oil production is not enough for the domestic market. Therefore, more production of sunflower is still needed. Increasing of sunflower production in the Çukurova Region during the last years, is constituted approximately 9% of total Turkey's sunflower production. Thus, pest problems have increased as sunflower acreage increased and average sunflower yield losses due to weeds alone approached 60%. Weed surveys were carried out in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons in order to determine the most troublesome weed species in the sunflower-growing areas of Çukurova Region. Field surveys were conducted in Adana, Mersin and Osmaniye provinces. Fifty-two weed species belonging to 23 different families were identified. Sunflower parasite, nodding broomrape (Orobanche cernua Loefl.), was recently encountered among the identified weeds in Cukuruva region. According to the results of the two-years weed surveys, broomrape (Orobanche cernua Loefl.) density was significantly increased. In order to determine the efficacy of some agroecological herbicides to control of nodding broomrape (Orobanche cernua Loefl.) and branched broomrape (Orobanche ramosa) weeds, 11 agroecological herbicides and one chemical herbicides as control were used and eventually, the effect of these herbicides on the broomrape dry weight, density; sunflower dry weight and yield response were determined.