N. SAI GEETHIKA1, D. SUBRAMANYAM1, S. TIRUMALA REDDY2 AND V. UMA MAHESH3

Department of Agronomy, 2RARS, 3Department of Plant Physiology
S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati 517 502, Chittoor Dt., Andhra Pradesh

ABSTRACT

A field experiment was conducted on sandy loam soils of S.V. Agricultural College Farm. Tinipati, during rabi 2017-18. to know the effect of different plant water extracts for weed management in rabi groundnut. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with ten treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of ten weed management practices viz., six plant water extracts, one mulch treatment, two chemical weed management methods and an un weeded check. Weed growth and yield of rabi groundnut was significantly influenced by different weed management practices. Among the weed management practices, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin 1kg ha-1 supplemented with hand weeding at 30 DAS (W ) recorded significantly lesser density and dry weight of weeds with higher weed control efficiency which inturn enhanced all the growth and yield components and yield of rabi groundnut. The lowest density and dry weight of all categories of weeds and highest increase in growth parameters viz, plant height, leaf area index, dry matter production and yield of groundnut were recorded with paddy straw mulch 5 t ha-1 (W ) followed by sunflower water extract spray 15 1 ha-1 twice at 15 and 30 DAS (W ). Among the organic weed management practices, all the plant water extracts were not effective as that of synthetic herbicides. The lowest values of growth parameters of rabi groundnut were computed with parthenium water extract spray 15 1 ha-1 twice at 15 and 30 DAS (W ) which was at par with un weeded check (W). All the plant water extracts were not effective as that of synthetic herbicides.