Qualitative suggestions about chemical weed control of poplar in the nursery and possible improvement on the basis of experimental trials over fifteen years

• Main Authors: Gennaro M, Giorcelli A, Deandrea G
• Format: Article
• Language: Italian
• Published: Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology (SISEF) 2009-06-01
• Series: Forest@
• Subjects: Populus; Herbicides; Phytotoxicity; Forest plantations; Biomass
• Online Access: http://www.sisef.it/forest@/show.php?id=586&lang=en

In this work the results of over fifteen years of experimentation are summarized, concerning the possibility of use of herbicides included in several chemical classes and with various mechanisms of action on poplar clones of different species, European and North American. The active ingredients were tested mainly singly or in commercial mixtures as well, applied before emergence (interpreted here as sprout of poplar cuttings not yet occurred and before weed infestation) or after emergence (interpreted here as cuttings with sprouts 20-25 cm long and after weed colonisation). Almost 50% of the 43 tested formulations has proved to be unserviceable in poplar nursery because of the hard damage induced on plantlets, i.e. dicotyledonicides and those with a wide action range, especially applied after emergence. It was the case of acetolactate synthase inhibitors and synthetic auxins. About 25% of formulations has proved to be utilizable with limited risks and 20% without risk. After emergence, the lowest damage was caused by graminicide compounds included in the class of acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors (e.g. diclofop-methyl, cycloxydim); before emergence, very good applicative opportunities were showed by microtubule assembly inhibitors, especially propyzamide, and the cellulose synthesis inhibitor isoxaben. Among the herbicides utilizable with some risk after emergence, the photosynthesis inhibitors pyridate and phenmedipham (singly or in mixture) were interesting since they are the only ones that allow the control of broad-leaved weeds in the presence of herbaceous poplar shoots. Before emergence, flufenacet and isoxaflutole were remarkable as well, the latter being active versus hardly limited weeds. In summary, besides the two aforesaid compounds, the graminicide cycloxydim and - more cautiously - clodinafop and propaquizafop may be hopefully introduced in poplar nurseries after emergence, in association with the wide action range mixture of phenmedipham, desmedipham and ethofumesate.