Potato competitiveness and ways to improve it in the forest-steppe zone of the Chechen Republic

In accordance with state policy on food security, the production of environmentally friendly agricultural products is a current priority. It is crucial to fully utilize the potential of all components of agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using plant growth regulators based on natural humic substances to enhance the competitiveness of various potato hybrids grown in the Chechen Republic. The study was conducted in 2024-2025 in the forest-steppe zone of the Chechen Republic. The use of a growth regulator for pre-planting treatment of tubers contributed to a significant reduction in species diversity and the number of non-target species in potato crops. The use of a growth regulator in potato cultivation technology for the Queen Anna variety significantly reduced the pigment content in weed leaves. Thus, compared with the minimum and maximum infestation (256 pcs/m2), the chlorophyll a content decreased by 2.1 times, chlorophyll b by 2.6 times, and carotene by 1.8 times. This suggests intraspecific and interspecific competition in the agrocenosis of various early potato varieties. An inverse correlation was established between the weight of a single weed specimen and the number of weeds per 1 m2. Pre-planting treatment of potato tubers with a 0.1% solution of the humic-based growth regulator Humate+7 has been shown to have a positive effect on increasing the competitiveness of potato tubers. Based on the above, the feasibility of using Humate+7, a growth regulator based on natural humic substances, for pre-plant treatment of tomato seeds is beyond doubt.