Weed control in angelica (Angelica archangelica L.)

Plantation cultivation of medicinal plants is expanding, and since weed control is the biggest challenge in this production, the aim of the study was to examine the possibility of their control by mulching. In addition, herbicide metamitron was included in the study, the use of which in such crops is acceptable in some countries. Angelica archangelica L. was chosen as the experimental crop as its essential oil from the root is one of the most appreciated on the market, due to which an increase in its production areas can be expected. The experiment was set up in five treatments (completely random block system with four replications), as follows: agrotextile waterproof foil, sawdust, herbicide metamitron, control without weeds (positive) and control with weeds (negative). The highest weediness was recorded in the negative control, and in the treatment with herbicide metamitron. Sawdust mulch resulted in a reduction in weediness, compared to the previous two treatments. Agrotextile foil and positive control were free of weeds. Thus, the best efficiency in weed control was achieved by applying agrotextile mulch foil, which completely prevented weed germination (efficiency 100%), a much weaker effect was achieved by using sawdust (efficiency 51.28%), while metamitron reduced fresh weed biomass by only 26.71%. The obtained results show that mulching as a physical method of weed control in angelica crop is more suitable, in comparison with the application of the herbicide metamitron, if the crop is dominated by grass species, which are not in the spectrum of action of this herbicide. The significance of these results is even greater knowing that in our country metamitron, as well as other herbicides, is not registered for use in medicinal crops.