Influence of weed management practices on nutrient status of maize and weed

Abstract

Field research was carried out at Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, AC & RI, Coimbatore during kharif season of 2016 to study the different weed management practices on nutrient content of maize and weed. The experiment was laid out in randomized plot design and replicated thrice. The treatments consists of eight various weed management practices viz., stale seed bed followed by one hand weeding on 30 DAS, stale seed bed followed by twin wheel hoe weeder weeding on 30 DAS, mulching with crop residue @ 5 t ha-1 applied at sowing, intercropping with sunnhemp and incorporation on 40 DAS, intercropping with fodder cowpea, twin wheel hoe weeder weeding on 15 and 30 DAS, hand weeding on 15 and 30 DAS and unweeded control. The result of this field trail showed that removal of primary nutrients by weeds were higher in intercropping with fodder cowpea and lower was recorded under mulching with crop residue @ 5 t/ha applied at sowing. In order to crop nutrient uptake pattern, higher nutrient content was noticed in mulching with crop residue @ 5 t ha-1 applied at sowing and lower in intercropping with sunnhemp and incorporation on 40 DAS.