Evaluating the performance of rope-wick herbicides applicator to control common reed

Abstract

Abstract This study was carried out in an ordinarily field of common reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin, one of invasive perennial weed in Iraq. originally focused on investigating the feasibilityof an applied herbicide treatment by using systematic herbicides of glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl glycine) and fluazifop-butyl to control the common reed. Doses of glyphosate and fluazifop-butyl were used and experiments were set using complete randomize block design (CRBD) with three repetitions. Seven treatment methods of herbicides (T1–T7) were involved. Results indicated the superiority of T7 to control common reed compared to other treatment methods and showed highest control rate of 61.74% using T7. More specifically, T7, T6, and T5 presented the lowest average regrowth rates of Phragmites australis that reached up to 61.74%, 57.94%, and 52.47%, respectively. The positive contribution of herbicides was continued around 180 days after the treatment. Moreover, T7 has accomplished a significant difference in the reduction of the plant height compared to other treatments. Also, the application of rope-wick of T7 has depicted the lowest total dry weight of vegetative (480.67 g/m2) compared to T1, T5, and T6. In the contrast, insignificant differences of the total dry weight of vegetative were noticed for T3, T4, and T5. The lowest rhizomes dry weight was observed for T2, T5, and T3 221.33 g/m2, 248.33 g/m2, and 270.67 g/m2, respectively. Glyphosate presented a prosperous controlling of common reed compared to fluazifop-butyl., The application of rope-wick has also gave a promising controlling of common reed compared to sprayers, which in turn reduced the usage of herbicides concentration that would be in line with mitigating the environmental pollution.