Investigation on different mulch materials and chemical control for controlling weeds in apple orchard in Turkey

Abstract

Five different applications of mulching, consisting of a cover of black plastic cover (polyethylene = 0.15 mm thick), a sand stratum with a thickness of 2 cm, a layer of sand with a thickness of 4 cm, cardboard (1.5 mm thick), wheat stem (5 cm thick) and glyphosate acid active substance herbicide (postemerging), respectively were used for weed control in apple orchard having different kinds of Scarlet spur, Grany smith and Red chif. 47 species of weeds belonging to 19 families were identified on the research field. Densities of weeds identified aforesaid according to application research is 0.081, 19.256, 1.243, 0.209, 26.625 and 5.799 weeds/m 2 respectively. Therefore, percent of effectiveness of aforementioned applied methods for control with weeds were determined as 99.86, 68.82, 97.98, 99.66, 56.89 and 90.61%, respectively. While the method using a cover of black plastic (polyethylene) comes first with an effectiveness of 99.86%, it was followed by cardboard method with 99.66%, sand method with 97.98% and herbicide (touchdown = glyphosate acid) method with 90.61%.