Abdolreza Ahmadi; Saeed Gholamrezai; Fatemeh Sepahvand
Abstract
In the area of integrated weed management, the objective of this study is to identify and assess the educational requirements of farmers in the province of Lorestan. The research's statistical population comprises all rapeseed growers in Lorestan Province. A stratified sampling method was employed to ...
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In the area of integrated weed management, the objective of this study is to identify and assess the educational requirements of farmers in the province of Lorestan. The research's statistical population comprises all rapeseed growers in Lorestan Province. A stratified sampling method was employed to select 137 respondents from the population using Cochran's formula. As the research instrument, a questionnaire was developed by the researcher. The findings of the study suggest that the participants possess a moderate to limited understanding of integrated weed management as it pertains to rapeseed products. The findings suggest that the knowledge-education modules address the greatest number of educational requirements pertaining to "the impact of weed presence on the farm" and "the competition between weeds and crops on the farm." The findings revealed that sixteen categories of the knowledge-education needs are at an exceptionally high level. Among these, the categories of "plow preparation," "reduction in crop yield," and "manual weeding" are among the most critical. Furthermore, an examination of each module reveals that when it comes to modules that promote the efficient reduction of herbicide usage and the implementation of hygienic and preventive measures, a significant emphasis should be placed on these aspects. According to the correlation results, there is a significant and negative relationship between the number of educational programs participated in by respondents and the frequency with which farmers visit agricultural extension service offices and their educational needs. An positive correlation exists between the needs and the distance between the village and the city. It is suggested that in this region, farmers be informed through the use of mass media such as local radio and television, as well as posters. Additionally, educational workshops and extension visits can serve as influential means to enhance individuals' skill sets.
Abdolreza Ahmadi
Abstract
The critical period of weeds refers to the stage of the plant's growth cycle during which weeds must be controlled to avoid crop damage. Understanding the critical period of weed control is beneficial for both biological and economic reasons when making weed control decisions and scheduling. Field experiments ...
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The critical period of weeds refers to the stage of the plant's growth cycle during which weeds must be controlled to avoid crop damage. Understanding the critical period of weed control is beneficial for both biological and economic reasons when making weed control decisions and scheduling. Field experiments were conducted in 2018 in Khorramabad, Iran to determine the critical period of weed control (CPWC) in rain-fed lentil. The treatments were divided into two series: weed interference with the crop from emergence to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, or 70 days after emergence with a control treatment (weed infested), and weed-free treatments up to the aforementioned stages. The logistic and Gamprtz nonlinear models were used to determine the start and end of the critical period of weed control, respectively. Galium tricornutum, Turgenia latifolia, Cerastium dichotomum, and Lathyrus aphaca were the most significant weed species in the experiment due to their greater biomass and size. The results indicated that weed control and interference treatments significantly increased lentil yield. Grain yields were 471 and 187 kg ha-1 for weed-free and interference-control treatments, respectively. Thus, when compared to weed-free control, weed interference reduced grain yield by 60%. The critical period of weed control began and ended 43 and 26 days after emergence, respectively, based on acceptable yield reductions of 5% and 10%.