Weed control in cranberry plantings

Abstract

When growing cranberries, the main problem is the control of weeds which deteriorate the nutrition conditions, reduce the efficiency of photosynthesis, pollination of cranberry plants by insects, suppress the growth of young shoots and the formation of generative buds, and in some cases, the complete death of cranberry plants. When growing cranberries, it is necessary to provide for weed control measures. It is necessary to carefully remove the roots and rhizomes of annual and perennial weeds from the site. The plantings of cranberry species and varieties with varying degrees of overgrowth by weeds were treated with the herbicide Ankor-85 by spraying at a rate of 0.10 kg ha (5 g per 10 L of water) using an electric battery-powered sprayer “Zhuk Elektro-Klassic” (the consumption rate of the working solution is 200 L ha). Thirty six weed species were identified on the experimental site, 33 weed species died after herbicide treatment. The perennial root-sucker weeds as Cirsium arvense L., Rorippa palustris L. and Sonchus arvensis L. lost the above-ground parts only. Later, these plants showed regrowth from rhizomes. No negative effect of the herbicide on cranberry growth at a rate of 0.10 kg ha was detected. The American cranberry plants formed long creeping (up to 43 cm) and erect (up to 11 cm) shoots. Such increment of growing shoots is typical for this cranberry species and will ensure its good productivity in the future. The same trend is typical of European cranberry. The experiment showed that the herbicide Ankor-85 at a rate of 0.10 kg ha at spring treatment of cranberry plantings before the beginning of the growing season was efficient to control the regrowing (up to 10-15 cm) monocotyledonous, dicotyledonous and woody weeds. Complete destruction was observed in 33 out of 36 species. The application of the herbicide Ankor-85 proved efficient against monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds and, to a lesser extent, against perennial root-sucker weeds. Weeds partially resistant to a single treatment were identified: Cirsium arvense L., Sonchus arvensis L. and Rorippa palustris L. Additional manual weeding is required to destroy them.