Response of Garlic and Associated Weeds to Bio-Stimulants and Weed Control

Abstract

Weeds are one of the main threats to crop yield. Field experiments were carried out to investigate the efficiency of bio-stimulants (amino acid, humic acid, gibbrillic acid) and weed control methods (Clethodium, Fluzifop- butyl, Clodinafop-propargyl,  diclofop and two hand hoeing)  as well as their interactive effects on garlic plant and weeds in Nubaria, Egypt. Application of amino acids at the concentration (100 ppm) caused markedly increases in dry weight weeds species under investigation compared with control. Clodinafop-propargyl treatment coefficient has exceeded the rest of the treatments in reducing the narrow weeds accompanying the garlic plants. Application of clethodium treatment produced the maximum values of growth, blub yield and yield attributes. Moreover, two hand hoeing produced the maximum values of photosynthetic pigments and biochemical constituents. The interaction between bio-stimulants and weed control had significant effect on total dry weight of narrow-leaved weeds, average bulb weight and bulb garlic yield. Clethodium herbicide integrated with amino acid at the concentration 100 ppm application produced the maximum values of garlic blub yield. It can be suggested that the use of clethodium or diclofop herbicide combined with amino acid has better the growth and yield of garlic plants under newly reclaimed soil conditions.