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Silicon as a Predicator of Sustainable Nutrient Management in Maize Cultivation (Zea mays L.)
Field trials were conducted at the Field Experimental Station in Winna Góra. Weed control after maize sowing increased the grain yield by 15.7% compared to that after herbicide application at the BBCH 14/15 stage. Higher effectiveness of silicon application in maize cultivation can be achieved on plantations free from primary or secondary weed infestation. The application of a 50% NPK dose increased the grain yield by 8.6%, while a 100% dose improved it by 13.9% compared to that of the control object (without mineral fertilization). Furthermore, it was observed that the effectiveness of the silicon increased with higher total precipitation during the maize growing season, as evidenced by the results from 2022. In that year, the difference between the control (without silicon application) and the treatment with silicon applied at the BBCH 15/16 stage was more than 33%. The average mass losses from the green tea bags ranged from 54.9% to 71.9% in the variant of the sowing experiment carried out after spraying with the herbicide and from 69.4% to 72.4% in the variant with herbicide spraying at the BBCH14 stage. The rooibos tea’s mass losses were lower, as expected, and ranged from 18.6% to 36.4% in the first variant and from 30.8% to 38.6% in the second variant. The mass losses of the green tea and rooibos tea were the highest in the variant with herbicide spraying at the BBCH14 stage and the lowest in the variant of the sowing experiment carried out after herbicide spraying. The stabilization factor (S) ranged from 193 × 10−3 to 254 × 10−3 in sowing after herbicide spraying and from 188 × 10−3 to 226 × 10−3 in the variant with herbicide spraying at the BBCH14 stage. The k (decomposition constant) ranged from 7.8 × 10−3 to 11.5 × 10−3 in the first variant and from 7.2 × 10−3 to 13.4 × 10−3 in the variant with herbicide spraying at BBCH14.
Multifunctional Adjuvants Affect Sulfonylureas with Synthetic Auxin Mixture in Weed and Maize Grain Yield
A field study in the years 2017–2019 was carried out to evaluate the impact of novel adjuvant formulations on the efficacy of sulfonylurea and synthetic auxin herbicides. Treatments included nicosulfuron + rimsulfuron + dicamba (N+R+D) at full and reduced rates with three multicomponent (TEST-1, TEST-2, TEST-3) as well as standard (MSO, S) adjuvants. In this greenhouse study, Echinochloa crus-galli seeds were planted and treated with N+R+D at 2–3 leaf stages. The water with the desired pH (4, 7, and 9) for the preparation of the spray liquid was prepared by incorporating citric acid or K3PO4 to either lower or raise the pH of the water. Adjuvant TEST-1 added to the spray liquid at pH 4 increased the effectiveness to 68%, TEST-2 to 81%, and TEST-3 to 80%, compared to 73% and 66% with the MSO and S. The efficacy of N+R+D at pH 7 with TEST-1 increased to 83%, TEST-2 to 82%, and TEST-3 to 77%, but with MSO, it increased to 81%, and 71% with S. Adjuvants TEST-1, TEST-2, and TEST-3 in the liquid at pH 9 increased efficacy to 76 and 80%, compared to 79 and 63% with MSO or S adjuvants. N+R+D applied with TEST-1, TEST-2, and TEST-3 provided greater weed control than herbicides with surfactant (S) and similar or even better than with standard methylated seed oil (MSO) adjuvants. Maize grain yield after herbicide-with-tested-adjuvant application was higher than from an untreated check, and comparable to yield from herbicide-with-MSO treatment, but higher than from S treatment.