DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SOIL-APPLIED HERBICIDE TREATMENTS IN CONTROL OF SPRING AND SUMMER-GERMINATING ANNUALS IN TOBACCO (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

The field trials were conducted during two tobacco growing seasons (2020 and 2021) to evaluate differences between soil-applied herbicide treatments in control of spring and summer-germinating annuals in tobacco.Amaranthus retroflexus L. (AMARE), Portulaca oleraceae L (POROL), Chenopodium album L. (CHEAL), Polygonum aviculare L. (POLAV), and Digitaria sanguinalis L. (DIGSA) were the most dominant weeds in both regions.Overall performances of the PRE-T and POST-T (OT) herbicide treatments were not due to inconsistent weather conditions between the 2 years of the study only, but to working way of tobacco seedling transplanting machine, as well.Higher amount of precipitation during the 10 days after (DA) PRE-T herbicides application caused PRE-T herbicide leaching which lowered efficacy of PRE-T herbicides in control of predominant weeds (<76%) compared to their application as POST-T (OT) treatment (>91%) in 2020 in Prilep region.Precipitation above 30ys average were recorded in Titov Veles, as well, but due to their equal occurrence, as well as soil type characteristics, leaching did not occur and efficacy was good for PRE-T (77-87%) and excellent for POST-T (OT) (95-100%) treatment.Rainfalls 10 DA after POST-T (OT) application in 2021 were above the 30ys average for Prilep region, which caused significant leaching of herbicides and reduction of POST-T (OT) herbicide efficacy (<74) compared to PRE-T treatment (76-88%).Opposite, dry condition after PRE-T application and POST-T (OT) application as well, may have contributed to the poor performance of both PRE-T and POST-T (OT) herbicide treatments (<76% and <79%, respectively) in Titov Veles region in 2021.Heavy precipitation directly following PRE-T and POST-T (OT) application caused tobacco injury in Prilep region in 2020 and 2021, which ranged from 10 to 30% and 12 to 27%, respectively across both treatments 7 DAHA.Injures of pendimethalin and metolachlor were more serious.Tobacco