Weeds in sunflower production in Croatia and their control

Sunflower is the most important oil crop in Republic of Croatia. In last two decades, it has been grown on average 33,506 ha with a grain yield 2.66 t/ha. Weeds represent one causes biotic stress, and their action reflected competition for nutrients, water, light space. The weed flora sunflower crops Croatia extremely diverse, we will often meet: Polygonum persicaria L., lapathifolium Ambrosia artemisiifolia Chenopodium polyspermum Amaranthus retroflexus Solanum nigrum L. emend Miller, Abutilon theophrasti Medik, Datura stramonium Xanthium strumarium Convolvulus arvensis Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop., Echinochloa crus-galli Pb., Setaria glauca viridis Digitaria sanguinalis Panicum spp. Sorghum halepense Pers. For many years, control was based intensive use chemical preparations, which were used after sowing before emergence, double or triple combinations. addition to number advantages using chemicals production, problem broadleaf weeds not satisfactorily solved until advent Clearfield, Clearfield plus Express sun technology, i.e. hybrids tolerant herbicides from group imidazolinone (imazamox) sulfonyl-urea (tribenuron-methyl) at beginning this century. Integrated plant protection, including integrated management, its holistic approach greater application direct indirect non-chemical measures, only environmental quality solution controlling sunflowers.