Weed control and potato (Solanum tuberosum) yield with banded herbicides and cultivation

Experiment compared the effect on weed control and potato yield of banded a pplications of metolachlor plus linuron with or without flex-tine, rolling, and shovel cultivation prior to hilling. Cultivation without banded herbic ide resulted in greater prehilling in- and between-row weed densities and r educed late-season weed control as compared to broadcast herbicides or cult ivation with banded herbicides. Although the flex-tine and rolling cultivat ors were expected to provide improved in-row weed control, there were few d ifferences between these and the other cultivation implements. Despite redu ced weed control with cultivation alone, potato yields were not reduced.