Sustainable Weed Management: The Effects of Applying Pre- and Post-Emergence Herbicides to <i>Medicago ruthenica</i>
2025
Qiang Li | Zhongwei Ren | Hui Xu | Wenying Wang | Yarong Zhang | Fan Huang | Linqing Yu | Jun Li
<i>Medicago ruthenica</i> is a forage legume crop that is widely used as fodder and for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas in Northcentral Asia. During the seedling stage, weeds challenge the growth and development of <i>M. ruthenica</i>, especially in fields sown for seed production. However, strategies to effectively control weeds in crops of <i>M. ruthenica</i> using herbicides have not been investigated. We evaluate the efficacy of different herbicides that control pre- and post-emergence of weeds in <i>M. ruthenica</i>. The results indicated that the most effective pre-emergence herbicides, imazethapyr (1530 mL ha<sup>−1</sup>) and flumetsulam (120 mL ha<sup>−1</sup>), resulted in crop safety and soil microbial community equivalent to a weed-free check. The most effective post-emergence herbicides are imazethapyr + haloxyfop-P (1800 + 600 mL ha<sup>−1</sup>) and 2,4-DB + haloxyfop-P (2250 + 600 mL ha<sup>−1</sup>). These herbicide treatments demonstrate effective control of most weeds (<i>A. retroflexus, C. album,</i> and grasses) while ensuring crop safety. Application of these herbicides to control weeds in <i>M. ruthenica</i> prior to or after their emergence represents a viable strategy for their control and also improve agricultural viability and crop yield and quality. Our research contributes to sustainable agriculture and ecological restoration in arid regions.
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