Efficiency of Chemical and Mechanical Methods for Controlling Weeds in Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)

Abstract

Research was conducted from 1978 through 1980 at Headland, AL, to evaluate the use of herbicides, mechanical cultivation, and hand-hoeing as components of a total weed control system for peanuts (Arachis hypogaeaL.). Herbicides or two cultivations alone failed to provide acceptable weed control, peanut yields, or net returns for the 3-yr period. However, adding two cultivations to the herbicide treatments produced acceptable weed control, peanut yields, and net returns for the 3-yr period. Average peanut yield for herbicide(s) plus two cultivations was 3200 kg/ha with an average net return of $260/ha. Two cultivations plus two hoeings without herbicide(s) produced good results with an average 3-yr yield of 3380 kg/ha and a net return of $280/ha. Herbicide(s) plus two cultivation treatments that had net returns equal to two cultivations plus two hoeing treatments were: dinoseb (2-sec-butyl-4,6-dinitrophenol) at 5.0 kg ai/ha applied at ground-cracking ($300/ha); dinoseb + alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′-diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] at 1.7 + 3.4 kg ai/ha applied at ground-cracking ($310/ha); and alachlor at 4.5 kg/ha applied preemergence ($320/ha). Treatments containing herbicide(s) plus two cultivations plus two hoeings did not substantially improve weed control, peanut yields, or net returns over herbicide(s) plus two cultivations.