Desiccation of potatoes using herbicides

UVOD Krompir (Solanum tuberosum L.) je jedna od 2.300 vrsta iz familije Solanaceae. Ova familija obuhvata oko 90 rodova, od kojih je najbrojniji rod Solanum sa oko 1.500 vrsta, od kojih Soltani, SUMMARY Desiccation is an agro-technical measure that has been used in agricultural practice for many years. Desiccation of potatoes enables a better control of tuber size, their physiological uniformity, uniformity in crop ripening, standardization of skin color and firmness, minimization of tuber malformations, and reduces the occurrence of pathogens and pests, removes weeds and aboveground mass of potatoes for easier harvesting. During potato desiccation, the aboveground parts can be eliminated by mechanical, mechanical-chemical, or chemical methods. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of different herbicides as potato desiccants if used in the phenological phase of potato ripeness. Herbicides used in this study were based on a.s. diquat, piraflufen-ethyl + mineral oil, piraflufen-ethyl, carfentrazone-ethyl in single and split application. In the last assessment, 11 DAT, the best effect was achieved with diquat (100%, on leaves and stems), followed by pyraflufen-ethyl + mineral oil (90% on leaves, 85-90% on stems). Meanwhile, pyraflufen-ethyl with no adjuvant had a lower effect (75-80% on leaves, 75% on stems), carfentrazon-ethyl in the unilateral application was at a similar level (75-80% on leaves and stems), while the lowest effect was observed in the treatment with carfentrazone-ethyl in a split application (55-60% on leaves, 45-50% on stems). Results of these studies have shown that carfentrazone-ethyl and pyraflufen-ethyl can be used for potato desiccation, with slightly lower efficiency, as well as slower action compared to a.s. diquat. It is recommended that these herbicides be applied in a single application, with the addition of an adjuvant to the herbicide, in order to improve its effectiveness.