Evaluación de formulaciones y grosor de hidromulch para el control de malezas en el cultivo de zanahoria (Daucus carota)

Abstract

The demand for carrot (Daucus carota) has increased, but production is declining due to the lack of efficient techniques especially in weed control. The use of herbicides and plastic mulches are widely used, although they are efficient, several alternatives are being explored due to the emergence of herbicide resistant weeds and the impact of plastic waste on the environment. Hydromulch represents an possible alternative to control weeds in agriculture, reducing the environmental impact. Hydromulch is a liquid mixture of recycled paper and hardening substances, which prevent the emergence of many annual weed species. The purpose of this work was to identify the best formulation and thickness of hydromulch for weed control in a carrot crop. The formulations evaluated contained different concentrations of gypsum (15, 30 and 50 g per liter of paper pulp) that were applied at differente volumes that produced hidromulches of three different thicknesses (3,95, 6,81, and 10,06 mm). The results showed a clear effect on thickness, with thicker hydromulch performing better. Regarding the concentration of gypsum, no statistically significant differences were found between the three levels. In economic terms the cost of weed control with hydromulch was higher than manual control. The main influencing factor was repared artisanally and applied by hand. How over, there is the potential to reduce costs by mechanizing the processes of preparation and application of hydromulch in the field.