Non-chemical weed management in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L. Merrill)

Abstract

The experiment was laid out during Kharif 2024-25 at the experimental farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani (M.S.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design comprising 7 treatments viz., T1- soil solarization, T2- bio-solarization, T3- smother crop (Amaranth), T4- straw mulch 5 cm thickness, T5- straw mulch 7.5 cm thickness, T6- weedy check and T7- weed free. The various quantitative traits had been studied and the data was subjected to ANOVA. The ANOVA showed significant differences for non-chemical weed management treatments for all studied traits indicating sufficient variability. The soil of the experimental field was medium black and clay loam in texture and moderatly alkaline in reaction (7.2 pH). The size of the gross and net plot was 5.4 m x 4.5 m and 4.5 m x 4.3 m, respectively. The major weeds found in French beans include Euphorbia geniculata, Cynodon dactylon, Brachiaria eruciformis, Acalypha indica, camelina benghalensis, Digera arvensis, Convolvulus arvensis, and Cyperus rotundus. The results revealed that treatment T1 (Soil solarization) significantly recorded the lowest total weed density, weed dry matter and highest weed control efficiency at critical crop-weed competition period.