Competitive relations between young vines and weed species for mineral nutrients uptake in the nursery

Neli Prodanova-Marinova, Irina Staneva, Emil Tsvetanov

Abstract: During the period 2017 – 2020, a study was carried out on the weed – vine competitive relations in the nursery and the opportunities for control through herbicide treatment. Grafted cuttings of the Cabernet Sauvignon variety to Berlandieri X Riparia SO4 rootstock, rooted without mulching the beds with polyethylene foil, were used. The soil type was leached chernozem formed on clay loess. The treatment with Gardoprim plus Gold (312.5 g/l s-metolachlor + 187.5 g/l terbuthylazine) at a dose of 0.4 l/da was performed by micro-spraying immediately after the cuttings were planted in the nursery. The content of
N (%), P (%), K (%), Ca (%), Mg (%) and Fe (mg/kg) in the vine leaves and the weeds’ vegetative mass was recorded at the end of the vine growth.The weed species C. arvensis, A. blitoides and P. oleraceae appeared to be highly aggressive competitors of young Cabernet Sauvignon vines in nutrient uptake in the area of the nursery. C. arvensis plants from the herbicide-free plots accumulated larger amounts of P, K and Fe; A. blitoides – K, Ca, Mg and Fe; P. oleraceae – K, Mg and Fe. Despite the insufficient sensitivity of the three weed species to the herbicide; their response included statistically significant changes in nutrients export. The minimal changes found in the amounts of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Fe in the leaves of Cabernet Sauvignon young vines after treatment with Gardoprim plus Gold did not affect their growth and development and did not create preconditions for latent or overt phytotoxic reaction.

Keywords: competition; herbicide; mineral nutrients; nursery; vine; weeds

Date published: 2023-06-28