ECOLOGICALLY SOUND APPROACHES FOR WEED CONTROL IN THE PRODUCTION OF SEEDLING ROOTSTOCKS FOR APRICOT

Abstract

In the period 2001-2006 studies on the effect of some soil herbicides on the vegetative habits of yellow plum and apricot seedling rootstocks used in the production of certified planting material of apricot were carried out at the Fruit-Growing Institute - Plovdiv. The investigations were conducted under field conditions and by model pot experiments with sand (sand culture) and alluvial-meadow soil. The results about the effect of the soil herbicides napropamid, pendimethalin and metolachlor on the vegetative habits of yellow plum and apricot - two widely used seedling rootstocks for the apricot cultivars - were reported. Visual symptoms of phytotoxicity in the yellow plum and apricot seedlings after treatment with napropamid and pendimethalin were not observed. Treatment of the yellow plum seedling rootstocks with metolachlor (Dual Gold 960 EC) suppressed the plant growth. Application of the active substance metolachlor is not recommended. A depressing effect on growth and development of apricot seedlings was established after treatment with napropamid (Devrinol 4 F - 4 L/ha) only under the conditions of sand culture. The results obtained showed that in the production of yellow plum and apricot seedling rootstocks the use of some of the following herbicides could be recommended for an efficient weed control - napropamid (Devrinol 4 F - 4 L/ha) and pendimethalin (Stomp 33 EC -4 L/ha), which should be applied after sowing the seeds immediately before sprouting of the seedlings.