EFFECTIVENESS OF HERBICIDE APPLICATIONIN CONTROLLING SOSNOWSKY'S HOGWEED (HERACLEUM SOSNOWSKYI MANDEN.)IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE WESTERN FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article examines the effectiveness of various herbicides and their combinations in controlling the invasive species Heracleum sosnowskyi (Sosnowsky's hogweed) under the agroecological conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. This weed poses a serious threat to agriculture, ecosystems, and human health due to its high aggressiveness, rapid spread, and toxicity. A field experiment with four treatment variants was conducted over the period 2021–2024 at the Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies of Lviv. The research results showed that the effectiveness of herbicides strongly depends on the growth stage of Heracleum sosnowskyi: the highest control rates were recorded at early developmental stages (cotyledon phase), whereas effectiveness significantly decreased at later stages. The most effective treatment was a tank mixture of Elumis 105 OD at 2.0 L/ha and Roundup Max at 1.0 L/ha, which provided up to 98.3% control of Heracleum sosnowskyi at early growth stages and up to 58.9% at later ones. The obtained results were confirmed by statistical analysis and indicate the advisability of using tank mixtures to extend the application window and enhance the effectiveness of controlling Sosnowsky's hogweed. The article provides practical recommendations for farmers on selecting effective chemical plant protection products in regions where this invasive species is actively spreading