Abstract

RODRIGUEZ, Marcela et al. Design and assessment of a weed management proposal for spinach (Spinacea oleracea L.) crops, based on agronomic and socioeconomic aspects. Agron. colomb. [online]. 2010, vol.28, n.1, pp.89-97. ISSN 0120-9965.

In order to decrease production costs and increase farmer income, alternatives for solving the limitations of production systems should be proposed and evaluated. From an economical standpoint, weed management is a very important issue for the spinach growers of the municipality of Cota (Cundinamarca, Colombia). In the present research, the active ingredients S-metolachlor, atrazine, linuron and metsulfuronmethyl were evaluated individually as well as in different dose mixtures. Additionally, based on previous research on the plant community that grows along with this crop, and on the current treatment applied by the Cota farmers, we conducted a field evaluation of two weed management proposals. S-metolachlor was found to be selective to the crop, to which it did not cause any damage at the different tested doses. Nevertheless, this same molecule mixed with atrazine (61%) or linuron (33.7%) produced the worst damage to spinach. The highest weed density (417.7 plants/m2), the lowest number of spinach plants (33.2 plants/m2) and the lowest yield (2, 2403.8 kg ha-1) were obtained in the control plots. The application of S-metolachlor allowed the lowest weed (6.67 plants/m2) and highest crop (34.3 plants/m2) densities, as well as the largest yield count (31,686.2 kg ha-1) and cost reduction record (90.7% less than conventional production expenses). The obtained results should be considered as an important component of any weed management strategy.

Keywords : metolachlor; atrazine; linuron; metsulfuron-methyl; Cota.

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