Weeds in millet (Panicum miliaceum) crops depending on agro-cultivation methods on crystal-frost soils of Yakutia

In the permafrost floodplain soils of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), studies were conducted to investigate the dependence of the weediness of millet crops on different seeding rates and the use of chemical agents. The aim of our research was to determine the effect of different seeding rates and herbicides on the level of weediness in millet crops and their impact on fodder productivity. The millet variety (Panicum miliaceum) was used in the study. Barnaulskoe 98 with a seeding rate of 15, 20, 25, and 30 kg/ha. The millet crops were treated with the following herbicides: VS-R100, Glyfos Premium VR, Pantera KE, and Roundup Mac VR. The experimental plots had a size of 25 m2. The variants were arranged in a systematic order. The seeding method was row planting. The measurements and observations were conducted in accordance with the standard methods. The competition index was determined in accordance with the recommendations of A.N. Sukhov, V.V. Balashov, V.I. Filin, and others. A high private competition index was established for creeping wheatgrass (Elytrígia répens) at seeding rates of 15, 20, and 25 kg/ha, respectively, of 0.44, 0.37, and 0.50, and the highest overall competition index for all experimental variants, ranging from 0.021 to 0.031. Field sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) had a high private competition index at a seeding rate of 30 kg/ha, of 0.52. When the seeding rate of millet was increased from 15 to 30 kg/ha in the conditions of Yakutia, the total number of weeds decreased from 30 to 14 plants/m2, and the percentage of weed infestation decreased from 23.4% to 7.0%. The use of the broad-spectrum preparation Glyfos Premium VR, which reduces the number of adventitious vegetation by 53.3%, has been found to be highly effective. The preparations Roundup Mac VR and Pantera KE have also shown good results, reducing the number of weeds in millet crops by 44.4% and 47.0%, respectively.