Biological Response and Economic Feasibility of Weed Control Treatments on Weeds and Productivity of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

Abstract

Two field experiments were carried out during the two summer seasons of 2012 and 2013 at the wire-house of Sakha Agricultural Research Station, Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt, to study cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) susceptibility to herbicides and its efficacy on annual weed control and cucumber productivity. Each experiment included ten weed control treatments which consists of six herbicides (four herbicides used alone as pre-emergence i. e. pendimethalin 500 g, butralin 480 g, oxyfluorfen 120 g and metribuzin 49 g a. i. /fed., followed by one hand hoeing at 30 days after sowing, while the two other herbicides i. e. fluazifop-p-butyl 62.5 g sethoxydim 62.5 g a .i./fed. were used as post-emergence application with metribuzin), moreover using both oxyfluorfen and metribuzin alone at the high rate (180 and 70 g, respectively), hand hoeing twice at 30 and 45 days after sowing and weedy chick. The studied treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. All weed control treatments increased significant efficiency in controlling annual weeds. Reduction in cucmber yield per feddan was 50.4 and 66.4 % due to weed competition which gave 8.64 and 7.14 tons of fresh weight of annual weeds /feddan in unweeded check during 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively as compared to hand hoeing twice. The most effective treatment in controlling broad-leaved and total annual weeds in both seasons were hand hoeing twice treatment (93 and 94.3 %), oxyfluorfen alone at the rate of 180 g/ feddan. The high rates of 92,4 and 91.4 % and oxyfluorfen at the low rate of 120 g/fed plus hand hoeing once 89 and 87.1 % in 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively as compared to weedy chick without significant differences between them. The best weed control treatments were metribuzin 49 g a. i./ fed followed by fluazifop-p-butyl 125 g a. i./ fed., hand hoeing (twice), metribuzin at the rate of 49g a. i. / fed and metribuzin at the rate of 49 g a. i./ fed. followed by hand hoeing time and they hand one susceptibility indices of gave 51.9, 50.40 and 48.84% in the first season, while metribuzin at the rate of 49 g a. i./ fed. followed by hand hoeing one, metribuzin at the rate of 49 g a. i./ fed. followed by sethoxydim 62.5 g a. i./ fed.and hand hoeing twice gave (71.86, 68.03 and 66.31 in the second season, respectively( Table 3). The above mentioned treatments increased yield of cucumber by 1.17, 1.14 and 1.10 ton/fed. in the first season and by 1.71, 1.62 and 1.58 ton/fed. in second season as compared to unweeded in the two seasons, Also metribuzin 49 g/fed. plus fluazifop-p-butyl 62.5 g/fed. and, oxyfluorfen 120 g/fed. followed by hand hoeing once gave 61.90 and 57.16 % in the second season, respectively( Table 5). It can recommend to integrate some herbicidal treatments with fluazifop or sethoxydim or hand hoeing to minimize weed competition and increase cucumber productivity.