Treatment of potatoes with herbicides, or how to get rid of weeds

To obtain a large yield of high-quality potatoes, it is important to timely and thoroughly clear the area of ​​weeds, the presence of which can ruin even the best seedlings. This is primarily due to the significantly lower demand of weeds for the amount of nutrients and other various growth factors. That is why weeds are characterized by high competitiveness - cultivated plants are often unable to compete with them, which means they will wither. In addition to such a significant effect on yields, weeds can provoke problems during the harvest, and reduce the quality of the harvested potatoes. Often pests breed on weeds, among which there are many pathogens of plant diseases, both viral and fungal. To top it off, with a high level of contamination of the site, potatoes can become ill with late blight. All this impressive list of problems has a solution - the application of herbicides to potatoes. Below it will be described in detail what includes treating potatoes with herbicides or how to get rid of weeds.

Application of herbicides

Herbicide treatment is a chemical treatment, therefore it has many opponents. Of course, there is an alternative method of weed control - mechanical. However, in addition to its incredible labor intensity and duration, it has several more disadvantages, namely a high level of risk of damage to the potato bush or its root system and drying out of the soil.

In turn, the use of herbicides can completely eliminate the transfer of viruses, which is provoked by damage to the bushes. But the most important advantage of the chemical processing method is its speed and comparative ease. Nevertheless, if the plot is small, you should still give preference to a mechanical method of combating weeds. Also, do not use herbicides on shallow potato tubers or after frost. Chemical weeding should be carried out with healthy, pest-free plants.

Given the prevalence of the problem of combating weediness in areas with planting, it is not surprising that every year the number of potato herbicides offered to the consumer is constantly growing. Only the division into different types remains unchanged, thanks to which everyone can choose exactly the means, the use of which will bring the greatest effect.

There are several types of classification of potato herbicides:

• By the peculiarity of the impact on the weed plant - contact and systemic. The first ones act only in the place that had to be processed. Such preparations are intended for young one-year-old weeds and are not able to control perennial weeds, the roots of which are too deep and do not come under the influence of the preparation. In turn, systemic herbicides are designed to destroy both the surface and underground parts of the weed.
• According to the conditions of application - soil (pre-emergence) and leaf (post-emergence). As is clear from the names, the first is used before the emergence of seedlings or even before the sowing itself. Such herbicides act on the roots and seeds of the plant. The effect of leaf preparations extends to the terrestrial parts of the plant.

• In terms of the scale of the action - selective and continuous action.The drugs of the first category affect weeds of one culture, the second - they destroy all vegetation in a certain area of ​​action. When using continuous herbicides on potatoes, all weeds will be destroyed within a week after treatment. This type is good for pre-treatment of the area before planting. However, it is important to understand that at high doses, even selective drugs begin to act as systemic ones.

Popular remedies

Among the variety of offered tools, there are several that confidently occupy leading positions in the frequency of their use.

It is among the herbicides for potatoes with the best reviews that Antiburian belongs. This drug is used to control all types of weeds. The area should be processed every 5-10 days, a maximum of three times.

"Arsenal" is able to destroy only weeds, but also unwanted bushes or even trees. The site is treated with this herbicide only once, in the first half of summer.

"Panther" fights against weeds of the family of cereals, which often parasitize in areas with potatoes. This herbicide is also treated once. The main advantage of "Panther" over many other drugs is resistance to rain, which is activated an hour after use.

Titus 25 stands out among the rest for its quality and versatility. It is capable of fighting both perennial and annual weeds. The herbicide works well with potatoes. Treatment with "Titus 25" is carried out once.

Zenkor 70 WG belongs to pre-emergence herbicides for potatoes of continuous action. It is especially good in the fight against dandelion, mustard, quinoa and ragweed. Zenkor is a unique potato herbicide. It will not adversely affect the nutritional properties of the tubers - the potatoes are not saturated with chemically harmful substances. Also, a useful feature of Zenkora is the absence of the effect of this drug on subsequent plantings.

Roundup Max is often used to kill wheatgrass. The herbicide is fully active even under negative weather conditions - both in fog and in drought, its effect is equally effective.

Chistopol has a particularly good effect on sow thistle and birch. Also used against wheatgrass. The site should be processed once. It is possible to use the drug to combat shrubs. The analogue preparation is "Hurricane Forte 500 SL", which is also used to combat sow thistle and birch.

Totril 225EC is a very broad-acting preparation capable of destroying various types of weeds. However, it cannot be used in the greenhouse and after precipitation.

"Lazurit" copes well with annual weeds that parasitize potato plantings. Differs in a long-term effect on weeds growing in the future. The best period of application of "Lazurit" is the time of emergence of 80% of potato shoots.

Processing rules

The use of herbicides on potatoes is carried out using sprayers. They are often fixed on ground vehicles, less often they use aircraft for irrigation. The substances used in this way must be of low toxicity, however, despite this, basic safety precautions should be followed. First of all, it is necessary to protect the respiratory organs with a special respirator mask so that when sprayed, particles of the drug do not enter the body. To avoid negative effects on the skin after the completion of the procedure, you must immediately wash all exposed skin with soap. And, of course, no smoking or eating is allowed during spraying.

In addition to these simple rules, observing which, you will preserve your health, there are several more features associated with the use of herbicides on potatoes. First of all, this applies directly to the preparation of the working solution of the drug.To do this, it is better to use softened water and a container that is not made of metal. Otherwise, the effectiveness of herbicides will be significantly reduced. Also, you should not prepare a working solution for future use - it is stored for no more than a week, always in a cool place and in a plastic or glass container. In the case of longer storage, all the beneficial properties of the herbicide will be lost.

When deciding on the use of chemicals, it is important to know about the level of sensitivity of planted potato varieties to herbicides. For example, Yavar, Sayte, Lugovskoy and many others have an increased susceptibility to them. In this case, you should either choose the most gentle and non-toxic drug, or completely refrain from using them.

Video “Weed Control with Herbicides”

In the video - an overview of the most popular herbicides for use at their summer cottage.