Response of vetch, lentil, chickpea and red pea to pre- or post-emergence applied herbicides

Broad-leaved weeds constitute a serious problem in the production of winter legumes, but few selective herbicides controlling these weeds have been registered in Europe. Four field experiments were conducted in 2009/10 and repeated in 2010/11 in Greece to study the response of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.), chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and red pea (Lathyrus cicera L.) to several rates of the herbicides pendimethalin, S-metolachlor, S-metolachlor plus terbuthylazine and flumioxazin applied pre-emergence, as well as imazamox applied post-emergence. Phytotoxicity, crop height, total weight and seed yield were evaluated during the experiments. The results of this study suggest that common vetch, lentil, chickpea and red pea differed in their responses to the herbicides tested. Pendimethalin at 1.30 kg ha(-1), S-metolachlor at 0.96 kg ha(-1) and flumioxazine at 0.11 kg ha(-1) used as pre-emergence applied herbicides provided the least phytotoxicity to legumes. Pendimethalin at 1.98 kg ha(-1) and both rates of Smetolachlor plus terbuthylazine provided the greatest common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) control. Imazamox at 0.03 to 0.04 kg ha(-1) could also be used as early post-emergence applied herbicide in common vetch and red pea without any significant detrimental effect.