Introduction: Environmental problems caused by the use of herbicides have drawn researchers' attention to the use of integrated weed management methods. Using suitable cultivars and reducing planting row distances along with mechanical control methods can be effective in improving crop growth and reducing weed damage. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of mechanical control (weeding) and agronomic control by reducing the distance between planting rows on the yield of different varieties of faba bean.
Materials and methods: In this study, five varieties of faba beans, including Faiz, Shadan, Barkat, Mehta, and G-Faba, were planted in two-row spacings of 30 and 50 cm under two conditions of weeding and no weeding. The traits measured in each experimental plot included the number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100-seed weight, seed yield, biomass yield, harvest index, and green pod yield. Also, weed dry weight was measured in each experimental plot during the growing season.
Results: The results showed that in both row spacings and in all cultivars, grain weight, seed yield, biomass yield, harvest index, and green pod yield were significantly reduced in non-weeding conditions compared to weeding conditions. Seed yield in Faiz and Mehta in the row distance of 30 cm was more than the row distance of 50 cm, but the opposite happened in Shadan and G-Faba cultivars. Biomass yield was higher in the Mehta cultivar at 30 cm row spacing, but no significant difference was observed in other cultivars between two-row spacings. The yield of green pods in the Shadan variety was more than 30 cm in a row distance of 50 cm; but in other cultivars, there was no significant difference between the two rows. In all cultivars, the dry weight of weeds at 30 cm row spacing was significantly lower than at 50 cm row spacing.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that although increasing the row spacing did not have a significant effect on increasing the yield and yield components of faba bean cultivars, decreasing the planting row spacing decreased the weed population. On the other hand, weed control through weeding in both row spacing increased the seed yield and green pods of faba bean cultivars. Therefore, weed control, regardless of the type of variety or the spacing of planting rows, should be considered an essential measure in faba bean production. |
