Synergistic effect of allelopathic plant extract on fluroxypyr efficiently to suppress weeds in corn

Abstract EN

Successful weed control is important to maximize crop yield.

Use herbicides to control weeds has several undesirable effects on the environment leading to the search for other alternatives, of which allelopathy has great potential.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of adding the methanolic crude extracts of Eucalyptus citriodora and Cucurbita pepo leaves on Fluroxypyr herbicidal activity against corn weeds, Corchorus olitorius L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Portulaca oleracea L.

and Echinochloa colonum L.

So, a field study carried out at the experimental farm, Faculty of Agric., Tanta Univ, during 2008 and 2009 summer seasons.

With E.

colonum weed species, the hoeing (H) was the most effective treatments in reducing the weed biomass density, followed by 0.75 fluroxypyr +0.25 E.

citirodora H.

mixture (F+E.c3:1) and fluroxypyr (F) treatments.

In the other weed species, (F) were the most effective treatments, followed by F+E.c3:1mixture and H treatments.

The control treatment had the highest weed density.

There are no significant differences between the fluroxypyr and F+E.c3:1mixture treatments or between the two Zea mays L.

(Family: Poaceae) hybrids treatments.

The hybrid TWC 321 had the lowest weed plant density.

It is concluded that the effective weed control through the use of a reduced rate of herbicide (75% of the recommended rate) mixed with the E.

citirodora plant extract.

But, maximum values of the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) had recorded in fluroxypyr (F) and F+E.c3:1 treatment.