Chemical Control of Annual Weeds in Field Beans (Vicia faba) in Central Spain

Abstract

Field studies were conducted over 3 yr to investigate the effect of chemicals on field beans density and weed control. Predominant weed species were common lambsquarters, fumitory, henbit, corn poppy, prostrate knotweed, and wild mustard. All herbicide treatments except linuron injured field beans. Mean field beans survival at harvest was 78% in alachlor and 84% in alachlor containing treatments. Only 5% survived atrazine at 1.9 kg ai ha−1. Ethalfluralin, pendimethalin, simazine, terbutylazine plus terbutryn, and trifluralin treatments produced plant survival values of 56, 82, 86, 74, and 71%, respectively. Chemical control of the main weed species overshadowed the detrimental effect on field beans density, and thus most herbicide treatments except alachlor resulted in increased dry beans yield. The best overall results occurred with linuron, simazine, terbuthylazine plus terbutryn, and pendimethalin which increased dry beans yields 76, 63, 56, and 40%, respectively, over the control plots. Common lambsquarters was the dominant weed, and prostrate knotweed and corn poppy were the most difficult and the easiest species to control, respectively.