Effect of Some Chemical Herbicides on the Weeds Accompanying the Field's Peanut Crop

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the spring season of 2021 in a selected field of preparative Ibn Al-Bitar occupational/ Al-Hussainiya region in Holy Karbala. The experiment involved cultivating peanut plants (Arachis hypogaea L.), specifically a local variety, in soil characterized by a clay loam texture. The experiment aimed to determine the most effective chemical herbicides for controlling weed growth in conjunction with the Peanut crop. The experiment utilized a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The study encompassed six conditions: weedy and weed-free, which were under manual control for the entire duration of the growing season. Furthermore, there were treatments that involved the administration of chemical herbicides before planting, specifically Trifluralin and Pendimethalin, which were applied ten days before the planting phase. Additionally, post-planting herbicides, namely Oxyfluorfen and Clethodim, were sprayed during the vegetative growth phase of the plant as well as at the initiation of the flowering stage. The herbicides were administered according to the prescribed dosages. The findings demonstrated significant differences in the management procedure utilizing chemical herbicides throughout a 30-day period of applying said herbicides. This discrepancy became apparent when evaluating the two herbicides, specifically Oxyfluorfen and Pendimethalin, which produced the lowest quantity of broad-leaf weeds, with a recorded density of 4.6 and 7.6 plants m-2, respectively. Additionally, the results demonstrated that notable disparities were observed after 60 days from the application of herbicides. Specifically, the herbicides Pendimethalin and Oxyfluorfen exhibited the lowest density of broad-leaf weeds, with a count of 4.6 and 6.0 m-2 plants, respectively. Moreover, the impact of herbicides on narrow-leaf weed was examined at 30 and 60 days post-spraying. There was no significant difference in the means of the herbicides, and the herbicides Oxyfluorfen and Pendimethalin yielded the least density of broad leaf weeds after 90 days of herbicide application, with quantities of 6.0 and 6.3 plant m-2, respectively. Similarly, concerning narrow-leaf weed density on the same date, the herbicides Trifluralin, Clethodim,, and Ox-yfluorfen exhibited superiority in achieving the lowest density of narrow-leaf weeds, with quantities of 5.0, 5.3, and 5.6 plant m-2, respectively. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference was observed among these herbicides. The findings demonstrate the superiority of the herbicides Oxyfluorfen and Pendimethalin in achieving the highest percentage of control for broad-leaf weeds after 30, 60, and 90 days of herbicide application. Regarding the specific dates for the narrow-leaf weeds, the herbicides Oxyfluorfen, Clethodim, and Trifluralin exhibited superiority in providing optimal control. In contrast to alternative treatments involving herbicides, the herbicide Oxyfluorfen showcased the most diminished mean mass and the utmost level of hindrance on both extensive and limited-leafed weeds. Keywords: Herbicides; Oxyfluorfen; Pendimethalin; Clethodim; Trifluralin; Weeds; Narrow leaf; Broad leaf.