Effect of irrigation and weed management practices on weed studies, water use efficiency and yield of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Water Management Farm of CSK HPKV, Palampur during 2019-20 to study the effect of irrigation levels and weed management practices in cauliflower. It consisted of three irrigation levels (0.9 PE, 0.7 PE, 0.5 PE) in main plots and four weed management practices (black polythene mulch, pendimethalin @ 1.5 kg ha-1 followed by one hand weeding at 40-45 DAT, pendimethalin @ 1.5 kg ha-1followed by straw mulching and weedy check) in sub plots laid out in split plot design replicated thrice. Drip water application at 0.7 PE irrigation level and the use of black polythene mulch as weed management practice being at par with 0.9 PE level and black polythene mulch gave significantly higher yield compared to irrigation at 0.5 PE. However, the weed count was significantly lower whereas water use efficiency was significantly higher at 0.7 PE irrigation level compared to irrigation at 0.9PE with black polythene mulch.