Suitable crop rotation results in effective weed co ntrol in potato field

Crop rotation is one of the most traditional and su stainable techniques in weed management in a way th at a proper rotation could diminishes a majority of problematic weeds. In order to assess the response of weeds to a number of different rotations, a study was carried out on a s ix-year experiment which was arranged based on a ra ndomized complete block design with four replications at Agr icultural Research Station of Khorasan Razavi, in N ortheastern of Iran. In this study crop rotations included: vet ch-potato, canola-potato, barley-potato and fallow- potato. Each rotation was repeated three times during the 6-year course of the experiment. The dominant weed specie s were spring annual plants including common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) and redroot pigweed (Amaran thus retroflexus L.). Barley-potato rotation significant ly reduced weeds populations. In fallow-potato rota tion the highest density of perennial weeds was observed. Canola-pot ato rotation proved highly successful in controllin g weeds during the growing season and potato yield in this rotation was the greatest compare to other rotation s. Canola had a drastic potential of weed suppression, and it can reduce weed density and dry matters if located in the crop rotations.