Effect of Weed Control Treatments on Weeds, Seed Yield, Yield Components and Nodulation in Winter Lentil

Abstract

Good weed control is critical in winter lentil production. This study was conducted on the lentil cultivar Sazak 91 during the winter seasons of 1997-98 and 1998-99 to determine the most appropriate method for controlling weeds. Hand weeding (weed-free control), weedy control (inoculated), weedy control (uninoculated), hand hoeing once, hand hoeing twice, trifluralin, imazethapyr, linuron, prometryn, phenmedipham + desmedipham, trifluralin + hand hoeing and linuron + hand hoeing treatments were evaluated and the effects of herbicides on nodulation in lentil were investigated. In the first year Convolvulus arvensis, Centaurea balsamita, Ranunculus arvensis, Cephalaria syriaca and Lathyrus spp., dominated whereas in the second year Hordeum vulgare, Adonis aestivalis and Centaurea depressa were the dominant weed species in the plots. Prometryn, hand hoeing, linuron and a combination of linuron + hand hoeing were found to be the most effective for control of weeds, resulting in the highest yield in winter lentil throughout the investigation. Trifluralin and imazethapyr had a phytotoxic effect on the lentil plants. None of the weed control treatments had any adverse effects on nodulation and Rhizobium leguminosarum inoculation was not found to have any effect on the competitive ability of the lentil plants.