Effect of PRE-Herbicide Treatments on Weed Management, Cotton ( <i>Gossypium Hirsutum</i> L.) Yield and Fiber Properties

There are few registered pre-emergence herbicides in cotton and the growers usually apply the herbicides fluometuron, pendimethalin and s-metolachlor. However, other herbicides such as flurochloridone, flumioxazin and the premixture pendimethalin plus terbuthylazine are alternative pre-emergence options for weed control. A field experiment was conducted in northern Greece in 2021 and repeated in 2022 to study the effect of the preemergence mixtures fluometuron+ s-metolachlor at 1500 + 960 g a.i. ha−1, flumioxazin+ s-metolachlor at 50 + 960 g a.i. ha−1, flurochloridone+ s-metolachlor at 325 + 960 g a.i. ha−1 and pendimethalin+ terbuthylazine at 1125 + 562.5 g a.i. ha−1 on weed control, cotton yield and technological properties of cotton fiber. Amaranthus spp. Portulaca olearacea L. Solanum nigrum L. Chenopodium album L. were highly (>90%) controlled by all herbicides, Tribolus terrestris L. by flumioxazin+ s-metolachlor and pendimethalin+ terbuthylazine, whereas the perennial Sorghum halepense, Cynanchum laeve (Michx.) Pers. and Convolvulus arvensis L. were not affected. The response of cotton to these herbicides regarding crop emergence, growth, seed yield and technological properties of fiber was similar. Transient phytotoxic herbicide injuries were detected only in the second year of the study. Although, the phytotoxic injuries did not affect cotton growth, appropriate management of irrigation after herbicide application may be considered to decrease the incidence of serious herbicide injury.