Technical and economical effect of in-row cultivator machine in controlling weeds in cotton fields

Background and objectives: The use of mechanical methods for weed control with suitable cultivators increases yield, reduces labor costs, and ultimately enhances income in cotton fields. This research focuses on the construction and evaluation of an in-row cultivator machine (for controlling weeds both between and within rows) and compares it with the conventional method of weed control using a sweep cultivator and a chemical control method in cotton planting.
Materials and methods: The experiment was conducted as randomized complete block design (RCBD) with eight treatments and three replications at Darab Agricultural Research Station in Fars province. Test treatments were using in-row cultivator and trifluralin herbicide before planting (T1), sweep cultivator and trifluralin herbicide before planting (T2), in-row cultivator and trifluralin herbicide afte planting (T3), sweep cultivator and trifluralin herbicide after planting (T4), in-row cultivator (T5), envok herbicide (T6), full-season control of weeds (T7) and no weed control (T8). The cotton planting operation was done with Golestan seeds and in the amount of 20 kg/ha with a pneumatic planter. The consumption rate of trifluralin and envok herbicides was considered 2.5 lit/ha and 15 gr/ha, respectively. The parameters of weed control, soiling of plant, yield and yield components were measured and economical evaluation was done.
Results: Maximum weed control (92.78%) was achieved using the in-row cultivator and trifluralin herbicide before planting, which did not differ significantly from the full-season manual control treatment. The use of a sweep cultivator increased plant soiling by 67.4%. Results also indicated that applying trifluralin herbicide before planting resulted in higher cotton yields compared to applying it after planting in conjunction with the in-row cultivator. Economic analysis revealed that the gross margin of using the in-row cultivator was about 67% higher than that of the conventional sweep cultivator.
Conclusion: The results of this experiment demonstrate the efficiency of the in-row cultivator compared to the sweep cultivator. This research shows that both mechanical and chemical weed control methods are effective in cotton cultivation. The in-row cultivator, a new method for controlling weeds in cotton fields, proves superior to the conventional sweep cultivator both technically and economically. In-row weed control with the in-row cultivator reduces labor and the traffic of tractors and agricultural machines, increases cotton yield, and is recommended for cotton-growing areas with row planting.