Effect of organic and mineral fertilization and soil fertilizer on the weed infestation of potato plantation

The number of weed species occurring in agricultural crops in Poland ranges from 300 to 400, and in potato cultivation this number ranges from 29 to 55 species. Potato is a plant which is heavily grown over with weeds, since it is cultivated in wide row spaces and is characterized by slow initial growth. The aim of the 3-year study was to estimate the effect of cultivation practices such as limited mineral fertilization, the use of farmyard and straw, catch crop cultivation, as well as the use of a soil fertilizer on the occurrence of weeds in a potato plantation. It was shown that the numbers of weeds determined in three growing seasons before row closure stayed at low level (2-9 plants per m 2 ), and before tuber harvest it was only slightly higher. Among dicotyledonous weed species, the most frequently occurred: white goose-foot (Chenopodium album L.), field violet (Viola arvensis Murr.), smallflower galinsoga (Galinsogaparviflora Cav.) and shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris L Med.), and of monocotiledonous - barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus galli L.) and quack grass (Elymusrepens L.). The lowest weed infestation, particularly with dicotyledonous species, was recorded after the application of straw as organic fertilizer. Smallest number of dicotyledonous weeds occurred when the standard rate of mineral fertilizers was reduced by 50%. Whereas the use of the soil fertilizer UGmax caused increase in the numbers of monocotyledonous weeds before potato row closure and of both monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous before tuber harvest. The smallest weed infestation occurred when straw fertilization was used, mineral fertilization was reduced by 50% and the soil fertilizer was not applied.