Evaluation of weed Control Methods in Strawberry Farms.

Weeds are the most important problem in strawberry farms of Kurdistan and in weedy farms four to five times hand weeding are conducted by farmers. Weeds may affect strawberry growth and production in several different ways. They compete with strawberry plants for water, minerals, and sunlightincrease pressures from disease, nematodes, and insectsand reduce berry quality. The important common weeds in strawberry farms of Kurdistan are Convolvolus arvensis, Sorghum halepens, Vicia spp., Gallium tricopne, Allium ampeloprasum, Cynodon ductylon, Lamium amplexicaule, Setaria sp., Capsella bursa pastoris, Geranium spp., Erodium cicutarium. In order to evaluation various weed control methods in strawberry farm s conditions of Kurdestan 6 integrated treatments were compared with weeded and no weeded checks during 2 years in randomized complete blocks basis. The treatments are included: Wheat straw mulch. Black polyethylene mulch. 2,4-D (1.5 l/h in early spring) + Sethoxydim (EC12.5%) (3 l/h in 3-4 leaf stage of gtasses). Chlorthal dimethyl(Wp75%) (12 kg/h in early spring). Phenmedipham(EC17.7%) (6 l/h in spring after weeds growing) + Sethoxydim (EC12.5%) (3 l/h in 3-4 leaf stage of gtasses). Napropamide (SC 44.4%) (2 l/h in early spring before weeds emergence). Our results indicated that black polyethylene and wheat straw mulches were the most efficient respectively in weed control but they reduced strawberry yield. Black polyethylene suppressed prevalent perennial and annual weed but wheat straw controlled annuals only. Napropamide(SC44.4%) and Phenmedipham(EC17.7%) reduced fresh weight of weeds significantly. 2,4-D (1.5 l/h in early spring) + Sethoxydim (EC12.5%) and Chlorthal dimethyl(Wp75%) decreased fresh weed weights too, but they were not significant and they placed in a intermediate group between no weeded check group (highest level of weed population) and mulches group (lowest level of weed population). Comparisons of yields of various treatment in Duncan s multiple range test, showed that Napropamide(SC44.4%), Phenmedipham(EC17.7%), Chlorthal dimethyl(Wp75%) and 2,4-D (1.5 l/h in early spring) + Sethoxydim (EC12.5%) were efficient as same as weeded check, however the 2 latest treatment were less. No treatments controlled convovolus arvensisis and Sorghum halepens but did about others.