Investigation of the effects of herbicide and flame applications against weeds in cotton production

Cotton, which can be grown in certain regions of the world due to its ecological demands in the development and production process, is one of the cultural plants with high socio-economic effects. The sustainability of cotton production, which is in direct interaction with human influence and plant protection factors at every stage of the production process, is also important for the continuity of socio-economic effects. Turkey is the sixth largest country in the world in cotton production. Cotton production, which can be done in all biogeographical regions of Turkey (Mediterranean, Euro-Siberian and Iran-Turan), provides serious contributions to the development of the country and human livelihoods both in terms of agriculture and industry. For this reason, the management of factors limiting production is important for the sustainability of cotton production within the country. With this study carried out considering this importance, the issue of weeds that pose a problem in the cotton cultivation areas of Antalya, which is one of the most important provinces in cotton production in Turkey, has been discussed. Studies on weeds and their population status, alternative (exacerbation) and chemical control methods in cotton cultivation areas in Antalya province were carried out in 2020 as surveys and field trials in two different locations. Survey studies were carried out in 55 fields in total in Aksu, Serik and Manavgat districts, where cotton cultivation is intense. As a result of the observations, 24 weed species belonging to 12 families were determined. Among them, pink ivy (Ipomoea triloba L.), buckthorn (Cyperus rotundus L.), cannabis (Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.) and cornflower (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.) are the prominent species. Field trials were carried out in two locations, in the Belkıs and Burmahancı neighborhoods of Serik district in Antalya province. In the study; pre-sowing S-Metolachlor+Benoxacor (MB), pre-emergent Fluometuron (F), S-Metolachlor+Terbuthylazine (MT), post-emergence Trifloxysulfuronsodium (TS) herbicides with active ingredients were applied alone or as a mixture. Flame applications were applied as one and two repetitions. No application was made in the control plots. When an evaluation is made according to the results obtained from both locations; It was determined that flame and herbicide applications generally suppressed weeds and this effect was also reflected on the yield. Considering the season averages of both locations, the best results in terms of both density and coverage were obtained from flame applications with TS application alone or in combination with MT. Considering the weed biomass, the best result was obtained from the flame-2 application, followed by TS, flame-1 and MT+TS applications. The highest cotton yield was obtained from flame-1 application, followed by flame-2 and MT+TS applications with small differences. As a result, the most successful results among the four different active substances tested against weeds were obtained from the plots of TS alone and with MT mixture. It has been concluded that flame application is quite successful in terms of weed control and cotton yield, and in cotton production, flaming can be an alternative to chemical control in weed control.