ChileanJAR

During 1983/84 and 1984/85, at the Huerto San Jorge, Trapiche Alto, Curicó (Chile), a weed control experiment en young pear trees (less than three years) was carried on. Residual herbicides, applied en the tree plantation band (free of weeds), were compared with postemergence herbicides and manual weed control by cuttings. The main weed in the experiment was Bidens aurea. Evaluation ‘s by number of weed plants, and by trunk perimeter and length of new branches of the fruit trees. Residual herbicides (Table 1) gaye a geod control of annual weeds, both bread leaves and grasses. The postemergence herbicides,Paraquat and MCPA sodium salt,controlled Biden saurea the last ene being more effective. Manual control (two cuttings/season) was less effective. Due te the weed control en the plantation band, and increase in trunk perimeter and in length of new branches (in less proportion) was ebtained.