Weeds are a major threat in crop production, and controlling them in modern agriculture is critical to preventing crop losses and ensuring food security. Intensive farming practices, climate change and natural disasters affect weed dynamics, requiring a change in management practices. Existing methods are no longer viable due to lack of manpower; chemical control methods are limited by health hazards and the development of herbicide resistance in weeds. This article discusses some potential alternative weed control strategies in modern vegetable production that are feasible and effective. Increasing the competitiveness of vegetable crops through proper planning of agrotechnologies system, preventive, cultural and mechanical methods, development of competitive varieties, allelopathy, biological control and reduction of weed seed production at harvest will be a major aspect in sustainable weed management. Improving tillage regimes has long been considered the main measure of weed control. Control of weed seed production and weed injuriousness have been shown as potential tools to reduce weed seed germination and retention in the soil. The development of allelopathy has led to the emergence of new methods of weed control. The use of the allelopathic potential of crops also deserves mention in modern weed control methods. Thermal weed control is seen as a useful method. The role of bioherbicides as an integral part of sustainable weed management is emphasized. All of these strategies are viable for modern agriculture; however, choosing a specific method and using the right combinations will be the key to success. No strategy is perfect, and therefore an integrated approach can provide the best results. The adoption of such practices can improve the efficiency of farming systems in sustainable agricul- ture. A comprehensive method for protecting vegetable crops from weeds and ways to reduce the potential contamination of fields with seeds and weed seedlings are described. The optimal norms and technological features, conditions for the effective use of modern herbicides on crops and plantings of vegetable crops are given.

Relevance. Onions are a traditional vegetable crop that is in demand all year round. To obtain high and stable yields, it is necessary to renew the assortment of herbicides in the fight against weeds, to use compositions of preparations of different spectrum of action, toxic to the most harmful weeds and giving the maximum herbicidal effect with minimal labor and financial resources.Results. The article presents the results of tests of new herbicides Bandura and Boxer, unregistered in the Russian Federation on onions, at optimal rates, which showed high selectivity to the crop, but were inferior in efficiency to the Stomp Professional standard. The tank mixtures of Bandura and Stomp Professional with Dual Gold were more effective, exceeding the level of efficiency of the standard. Due to the action of the mixture Stomp Professional + Dual Gold (2 + 1 L / ha), the weediness of onion crops decreased by 78-89% (by quantity) and by 87 - 95% (by weight), which contributed to a significant increase in the yield of bulbs by 12.2% in comparison with control. The efficiency of Goal 2E 0.5 L/ha (42%) in the phase of 2 leaves of onion was insignificant due to the overgrowth of most annual dicotyledonous weeds by the time of treatment (3-10 leaves). The herbicide completely eliminated weeds at an early stage (up to 5 leaves), as well as older white and smoky grass. The remaining weeds experienced oppression in the form of suspension of growth, twisting and necrosis of leaves. Goal 2 E must be included in the system of protective measures against the background of pre-emergence herbicide treatment to suppress annual dicotyledonous weeds, poorly controlled by soil herbicides.

The physiological abnormalities of plants under protected conditions are one of the most common and economically dangerous phenomena for the grower. One of the frequent causes of this phenomenon in plastic houses is the damage of plants by herbicides; the symptoms of this are very similar to the damages of viral infections.

The optimal combination of soil treatment and herbicides application in condition of the light chestnut soils of the Volgograd region is suggested.

Biological and economic  efficiency of the tank mixture herbicide Zenkor Techno and wetting agent Silwet Gold in potato cultivation under the Kaluga region was defined. The absence of significant changes  in the efficiency by varying herbicide application rates (1.0 or 0.8 kg / ha) and the volume of the working solution (3006200 kg / ha) was noted.