Introduction Lentil is the second most important of legume crops in Iran and is mostly cultivated in the rainfed conditions. Weed competition is a major limitation to lentil production worldwide due to its slow early growth rate, short height, and lack of protective canopy development. Since the level of competition between weeds and crops is highly dependent on nutrient availability, proper nutrient management is considered as a method of weed management. Various aspects of nutrient management such as fertilizer type, application time, amount of application, and form of fertilizer can also change weed interference conditions with crop. It is believed that the application of biofertilizers, while providing environmental security and economic benefits, is a sustainable and beneficial method of plant nutrition and reducing the adverse effects of weeds. In Iran, two herbicides registered for lentil including pendimethalin and promethrin, that both of which are pre-emergence. Applying a single management method alone, in addition weed adaptation, leads to agroecosystem instability. Integrated weed management can increase the efficiency of management methods and also contribute to the sustainability of farming systems. This study was conducted to compare the effects of biological and chemical fertilizers in combination with chemical and mechanical weeding to improve crop yield and management of weeds in lentil farms. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted as factorial based on randomized complete block design with three replications at Research Farm of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Investigated factors included five levels of plant nutrition (inoculation of lentil seeds with phosphorus-releasing bacteria (Phosphorobacter), inoculation of lentil seeds with potassium-releasing bacteria (Potapowerobacter), inoculation of lentil seeds with mycorrhizal fungi, inoculation of lentil seeds with a mixture of Phosphoraverbacter, Potapaverbacter and Mycorrhizal fungi, and application of chemical fertilizers based on soil test results without inoculation with biological fertilizers) and three weed control methods (weeding twice before flowering and pod filling lentil stage, respectively, weed control with pendimethalin as pre-emergence herbicide, and weed control with pyridate as post-emergence herbicide). Lentils were planted at 100 plants m-2 density. Biological fertilizers were sprayed on lentil seeds in lab, before planting. Chemical fertilizer (mixture of potassium sulfate and urea) was distributed at the rate of 50 kg ha-1 in the plots after sowing. Pentimethalin and pyridate were applied with a dose of 3.7 and 1.2 L ha-1, respectively, in 3-4 leaf stage of weeds. Weed sampling was done in three lentil growth stages (flowering, pod filling, and crop harvest) from 0.5 m-2. Matured crops were harvested from 1 m-2 and placed in lab for 48 hours to be dried for biomass and seed yield measurements. Results and Discussion The results showed that despite significant weed control, the application of pyridate damaged lentil crop and reduced biomass and seed yield. Pendimethalin resulted in the highest lentil biomass and seed yield and no damage to lentil crop. Among the fertilizers, chemical fertilizer increased weed density and biomass, also increased lentil biomass and seed yield. Among the biofertilizers, Petapowerbacter (potassium fertilizer) showed that the highest yield of lentil (730.8 g m-2), and the biofertilizer mixture resulted in a decrease the yield and biomass of lentil compared to the other fertilizers. Due to the interactions between the control methods and the fertilizers, the highest biomass (800 g m-2) and seed (164 g m-2) yield were obtained in the integration of potassium biofertilizer with pendimethalin. Conclusion According to the results of the experiment, application of chemical fertilizer resulted in the highest crop yield and also increased weed density and biomass compared to biofertilizers. Among the biofertilizers, Petapowerbacter, which contains potassium-stabilizing bacteria in the soil, had the best effect on crop yield. However the effects of biofertilizers on weed traits, the lowest density and biomass of weeds were related to mycorrhizal treatment and the other treatments were not significantly different. Among the weed control methods, pendimethalin had the greatest effect on improving crop yield. Although pyridate weed control was better, but caused damage to the crop and yield was decreased. Therefore, according to the results this experiment, we recommend the use of pendimethalin in combination with Petapowerbacter in integrated weed management of lentil. |
- Al-Karaki, G.N., and Al-Raddad, A. 1997. Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and drought stress on growth and nutrient uptake of two wheat genotypes differing in drought resistance. Journa of Mycorrhiza 7(2): 83-
- Al-Thahabi, S.A., Yasin, I.Z., Abu-Irmaileh, B.E., Haddad, N.I., and Saxena, M.C. 1994. Effect of weed removal on productivity of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and lentil (Lens culinaris Med.) in a Mediterranean environment. Journal of Agronomy Crop Science 41(1): 60-65.
- Blackshaw, R.E., Molnar, L.J., and Janzen, H.H. 2004. Nitrogen fertilizer timing and application method affect weed growth and competition with spring wheat. Journal of Weed Science 52: 614-622.
- Cathcart, R.J., and C.J. Swanton. 2003. Nitrogen management will influence threshold values of green foxtail (Setaria viridis) in corn. Journal of Weed Science 51: 975-
- Davies, F.T., Potter, J.R., and Linderman, R.G. 1992. Mycorrhiza and repeated drought exposure affect drought resistance and extraradical hyphae development on pepper plants independent of plant size and nutrient content. Journal of Plant Physiology 139: 289-
- Dimitrios, B., Anestis, K., Aristidis, K., Sotiria, P., and Vassilios, T. 2011. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: a blessing or a curse for weed management in organic olive crops? Australian Journal of Crop Science 5: 858-868.
- Evans, S.P., Knezevic, S.Z., Shapiro, C., and Lindquist J.L. 2003. Nitrogen level affects critical period for weed control in corn. Journal of Weed Science 51: 408-417.
- Francis, R.M., and Read, D.J. 1995. Mutualism and antagonism in the mycorrhizal symbiosis, with special reference to impacts on plant community structure. Candan Journal Botany 73: 1301-1309.
- Hanson, B, and Thill, 2001. Effects of imazethapyr and pendimethalin on lentil (Lens culinaris), pea (Pisum sativum), and a subsequent winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) crop. Journal of Weed Technology 15: 190-194.
- Izadi-Darbandi, E., Nabati, J., Nezami, A., and Oskoueian, A. 2019. Effect of biological fertilizers on improvement of chickpea (Cicer arietinum ) growth and yield by different weed control methods. Journal of Soil Biology 7(2): 195-210. (in Persian with English Summary).
- Jihad Keshavarzi S Information Technology Center. Ministry of Agriculture. Iran. 2017.
- Jordan, N.R., Zhang, J., and Huerd, S. 2000. Arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi: potential roles in weed management. Journal of Weed Research 40(5): 397-410.
- Karim-Mojeni, H., Alizadeh, H., Majnoun-Hosseini, N., and Peyghambari, S.A. 2004. Effect of Herbicides and handweeding in control of weed in winter seeding and spring sown Lentil (Lens culinars). Journal of Agronomy Science 1: 68-79. (In Persian).
- Major J., Steiner C., Ditommaso A., Falcao N., and Lehmann J. 2005. Weed composition and cover after three years of soil fertility management in the central Brazilian Amazon: compost, fertilizer, manure and charcoal applications. Journal of Weed Biology and Management 5: 69-76.
- McMurray, L., Preston, C., Vandenberg, A., Mao, D., Oldach K., Meier K., and Paull J. 2018. Development of high levels of Metribuzin tolerance in Lentil. Journal of Weed Science 67(1): 83-90.
- Mohamed, E., Nourai, A., Mohamed, G., Mohamed, M., and Saxena, M. 1997. Weeds and weed management in irrigated lentil in northern Sudan. Journal of Weed Research 37: 211-
- Mohammaddoust Chamanabad, R., Tulikov, A.M., and Baghestani, M.A. 2006. Effect of long-term fertilizer application and crop rotation on the infestation of fields by weed. Journal of Weed Science 12: 221-234.
- Parsa, M., and Bagheri, A. 2008. Pulses. Jahad Daneshgahi Mashhad P Mashhad. 524 Pp. (In Persian).
- Pezeshkpour, P., Ardakani, M.R., and Vazan, S. 2014. Effects of vermicompost, mycorrhizal symbiosis and biophosphate soulbilizing bacteria on some characteristics related to chickpea root growth under autumn in the dryland condition. Bulletin of Environment. Journal of Pharmacology and Life Sciences 3(2): 19-25.
- Rinaudo, V., Bàrberi, P., Giovannetti, M., and van der Heijden, M.G. 2010. Mycorrhizal fungi suppress aggressive agricultural weeds. Plant and Soil 333(1-2): 7-20.
- Smith W.E., and Read D.J. 1997. Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. 2nd E Academic Press, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Swanton, C.J., and Weise, S.F. 1991. Integrated weed management: The rationale and approach. Journal of Weed Technology 5: 65-76.
- Van Delden, A., Lotz, L.A., Bastiaans, L., Franke, A.C., Smid, H.G., Groeneveld, M.W., and Kropff. M.J. 2002. The Influence of nitrogen supply on the ability of wheat and potato to suppress Stellaria Media growth and reproduction. Journal of Weed Resarch 42: 429-445.
- Zand, E., Baghestani, M.A., Nezamabadi, N., Shimi, P., and Mousavi, S.K. 2017. A Guide Chemical Control of Weed in Iran. Jahad Daneshgahi Mashhad Press. 223 Pp. (In Persian).
|