Evaluating the efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicides for controlling Amaranthus retroflexus L. and Chenopodium album L. in potato

Field studies were conducted from 2008 to 2010 to evaluate the control of Amaranthus retroflexus and Chenopodium album and tolerance of potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Agria) to ethalfluralin, trifluralin, pendimethalin, rimsulfuron, EPTC and oxadiargyl applied pre-emergence (PRE) and post-emergence (POST) at seven rates. The experiments showed that trifluralin applied PRE, rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST and oxadiargyl applied POST provided the best control of A. retroflexus. Rimsulfuron and oxadiargyl applied POST and pendimethalin applied PRE were the best control options for C. album. Except for trifluralin and pendimethalin the susceptibility of the two weed species to the herbicides was similar. Trifluralin was more effective against A. retroflexus than C. album while the opposite was true for pendimethalin. Applied POST oxadiargyl was more effective than applied PRE. In contrast no differences were observed between PRE and POST applications for metribuzin, rimsulfuron and EPTC. Crop injury to rimsulfuron applied PRE or POST, trifluralin and pendimethalin was negligible while the other herbicides injured the potato crop. Metribuzin, oxadiargyl and ethalfluralin tended to cause more damage than EPTC. The results suggest that rimsulfuron and trifluralin would be the best options for weed control of A. retroflexus and C. album in Iranian potato fields.

► Trifluralin, rimsulfuron and oxadiargyl controlled Amaranthus retroflexus best.
► Rimsulfuron, pendimethalin and oxadiargyl were most effective for Chenopodium album.
► Oxadiargyl applied POST was more effective than applied PRE.
► No crop injury observed by application of rimsulfuron, pendimethalin and trifluralin.
► Metribuzin, ethalfluralin, EPTC and oxadiargyl caused varying degrees of damage.