Effect of Weed Control on the Productivity of Maize Intercropped with Legumes

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2003
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
MPUAT, Udaipur
Abstract
A field experiment entitled "Effect of Weed Control on the Productivity of Maize Intercropped with Legumes" was conducted at Instructional Farm, Rajasthan College of Agriculture, Udaipur during Kharif 2001 and 2002. The experiment consisted of 25 treatment combinations comparising of five intercropping treatments (sole maize, maize + blackgram, maize + greengram, maize + cowpea and maize + soybean) and five weed control treatments (weedy cheek, hand weeding 30 DAS, pendimethalin 1 kg ha-1, alachlor 2 kg ha-1 and metolachlor 1 kg ha-1). The experiment was conducted in split plot design with intercropping systems in main plot and weed control in subplots and it was replicated four times. All the weed control treatments reduced density, dry matter and nutrient deplition by weeds at all stages. Hand weeding, alachlor and metolachlor were significantly superior in weed density, dry matter and nutrient deplatien by monocat and total weeds at 60 DAS and at harvest over pendimethalin but these were at par in dicot weeds. The lowest dry matter was recorded matter hand weeding and followed by metolachor at 60 days and at harvest. All the weed control treatments significantly increased plant height, LAI, dry matter accumulation, yield attributes and yield of maize over weedy cheek during both the years. Among different weed control treatments hand weeding gave the highest value of these parameter except harvest index which was statistically at par with alachlor and metolachor. On mean basin hand weeding and metolachor gave 72.9 and 71.9 per cent higher grain yield of maize over weedy cheek. The N P and K content and uptake were also significantly increased by different weed control treatments. Dry matter accumulation by intercrops was highest in metolachlor followed by hand weeding at 60 days and at harvest. Metolachlor also gave the greatest leaf area index, yield and nutrient uptake by intercrops. On mean basis 75.6 per cent higher seed yield was obtained with metolachlor as compared to weedy cheek. Total Leaf area index, biological yield an N, P and K uptake of maize and intercrops were also significantly increased by different weed control treatments. Maize + soybean and maize + cowpea intercropping system significantly reduced the weed density and dry matter at 60 days and at harvest. The N, P and K depletion by weeds in both the years. Whereas intercropping systems did not exert significant effect on maize growth and yield but total leaf area index, biological yield and nutrient uptake by maize and intercrops increased significantly by intercropping of different legumes with maize. All the intercropping systems and weed control treatments significantly increased maize equivalent yield, net returns and B: C ratio. Highest maize equivalent yield, net returns and B: C ratio were obtained with maize + cowpea intercropping system but the results were at par with other intercropping systems. Amongst weed control treatments, highest values of these parameters were obtained by metolachlor, however, alachlor and hand weeding were at par with it.
Description
Keywords
null
Citation
Chalka, M.K. and Nepalia, V. 2003
Collections