The goal of this paper is to determine the efficacy of the control of Rubus caesius L., popularly called European dewberry, a weed of maize crops, using a diversified range of post-emergent herbicides. Research was carried out in the year 2009, at Sacoşul-Mic (Timiş County), where we set a mono-factorial trial in the field, after the randomised block method with four replications, each harvestable variant measuring 105 m2. The maize hybrid used in the trial was DKC-5143, a semi-late hybrid developed by Monsanto and homologated in the year 2005, recommended to be cultivated particularly in the Romanian Western Plain and in Southern and South-Eastern Romania. We identified 11 species of weed in maize crops – 262 plants/m2 – of which European dewberry represent 24.2 plants/m2 or 8.58% of the total weeds. Compared to the number of weeds in the control variant, after applying the herbicide the number of weeds diminished with 141.5 weeds/m² in the variant treated with Cambio (2.5 l/ha), up to 274.3 weeds/m² in the variant treated with Dialen Super 464 SL (0.9 l/ha). As for exclusive weed control of the species Rubus caesius L., the best results were in the variants treated with Dialen Super 464 SL (0.9 l/ha), with a control percentage of 85.97%. The largest maize yields were in the variants treated with Dialen Super 464 SL (0.9 l/ha), Callisto 480 SC (2.5 l/ha) and Banvel 480 S (0.6 l/ha), with yields of 68.24 q/ha, 66.45 q/ha, and 62.78 q/ha respectively, with very significant positive differences compared to the average of the field. In all experimental variants, 30 days after herbicide application, and particularly 60 days after application, we could note the tendency of European dewberry shoots to not regenerate, but they no longer represent a serious competition for maize plants. There were no visible effects of phyto-toxicity in the maize hybrid cultivated as a result of the herbicide substances used.

herbicide; Rubus caesius L.; weed control; maize

Presentation: oral