Abstract:
For create of food security is
essential increasing of efficiency and more
productivity strategic products such as
potato. In order to investigate the effects of
density and relative time of pigweed
emergence on potato, a factorial field
experiment was conducted during 2014
based on randomized complete block design
with three replications at the Research
Station of Borojen, Chaharmahal and
Bakhtiari, Iran. Treatments were
combination of three different pigweed
densities (5, 10 and 15 plants/m2) and
relative time of pigweed emergence (4 and 8
days before potato, emerged with potato,
4 days after potato emergence). Results
indicated that the effects of density and
relative time of emergence of pigweed was
significant on number of branches per plant,
plant height, number of tubers per square
meter, biological yield and tuber yield of
potato. Also, the interaction of between
experimental factors was significant on the
biological yield and tuber yield of potato.
The earlier emergence and pigweed density
led to reduce number of branches per
node,biological yield and tuber yield and
increase plant height of potato. The
presence of weeds caused reduce the size
and number of potato tubers. Procedure of
decreasing biological yield and tuber yield
potato was different with density increasing
of pigweed in various relative time of
emergence treatment. The highest (39.8 t ha-1)
and the least (18.4 t ha-1) tuber yield were
related to density of five plants/m2 and
emergence at 4 days after potato and density
of 15 plants/m2 and emergence at 8 days
before potato treatments, respectively.