PERFORMANCE OF MAGNETIZED IRRIGATION WATER ON TRIFLURALINE EFFICIENCY FOR WEED CONTROL AND THEIR IMPACT ON REDUCING ENVERONMENTAL CONTAMINATION

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Department of Field Crop Sciences - College of Agriculture - University of Baghdad, during summer season of 2008 and 2009 to investigate the performance of magnetization of irrigation water on improvement of trifluralin efficiency for weed control and their impact on reducing environmental contamination. A randomized complete block design arranged according to split-plot was used with three replicates. The study consisted four levels of magnetic water strength (0, 500, 1000 and 2000 Gauss ) as main treatments and five rate of application of trifluralin (0, 0.6, 1.2, 2.4 and 3.6 l.ha-1) and weed free as sub treatments. The results showed significant effect of magnetic water on most characters studied. Magnetic water strength of 500 Gauss caused greater reduction in weed densities at both seasons on` 30 and 60 days after planting which were 15.62 and 19.67 plants.m-2 as compared with 29.85 and 28.93 plants.m-2 with normal water treatment at 2008 season, and 40.50 and 27.06 plant. m-2 as compared with 50.44 and 36.94 plants.m-2 at 2009season. Also this strength caused greater percentage of weed control on 90 days after planting at both seasons and recorded 64.57% as compared with 48.47% for normal water treatment at 2008 season and 63.02% as compared with 50.40% at 2009 season.. Closer impact resulted between lower application rate of herbicide (1.2 l.ha-1) and highest application rate (2.4 and 3.6 l.ha-1) on weed control percentage. It was concluded that magnetic water technique may lead to improve efficiency of lower rates of trifluralin herbicide application and this may reduce environmental contamination.