Effect of spacing and weed management on the growth and yield of sunflower

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during Kharif 2016-17 to investigate the effect of spacing and weed management on the growth and yield of sunflower hybrid. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design replicated thrice consisting of five horizontal factors as spacing viz 60cm×30cm, 75cm×25cm, 75cm×20cm, 90cm×20cm and 90cm×15cm and five vertical factors as weed management practices viz. Pre- Emergence herbicide Pendimethalin at 1kg per ha followed by hand weeding at 30DAS, Pre- Emergence herbicide Pendimethalin at 1kg per ha followed by power Weeder on 30DAS, power Weeder weeded twice, hand weeding twice and weedy check. Among the spacing, 75cm×25cm had resulted in higher growth components and seed yield of sunflower. Hand weeding twice at 15DAS and 30DAS among weed management factors had higher growth components and seed yield of sunflower compared to other weed management practices.