In recent times, dust has emerged as a significant issue stemming from global warming, depletion of water resources, and agricultural activities. Dust storms have become more frequent in the Middle East, presenting potential dangers and contributing to climate change. The negative environmental impacts of dust on agriculture include reduced sunlight exposure for plants, decreased yields, and a decline in soil fertility. To assess the combined effects of dust and different herbicide applications on controlling Amaranthus retroflexus L., a factorial experiment was conducted in 2019 and 2020. Physiological and morphological characteristics were measured ten days after the application of dust. The presence of dust led to a decrease in chlorophyll-a and -b, and the application of herbicides also significantly reduced chlorophyll-a and -b levels. The reduction in overall chlorophyll content was more pronounced when herbicides were used alongside dust. When compared to non-dusty conditions, bentazon in the presence of dust resulted in increased chlorophyll levels. Both herbicides and dust significantly impacted reducing leaf and stem weights. Finally, the total biomass of plants was notably decreased by the combination of herbicides and dust, with the most significant effect observed when bentazon was applied in the presence of dust. The study concluded that using herbicides in the fact of dust could impact the growth of A. retroflexus, and herbicide application alongside dust could have an even more adverse effect, leading to reduced control effectiveness or an increased rate of herbicide resistance development.
