Upasani, R.R.Bharty, Shruti2017-06-132017-06-132015http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810019882INTEGRATED WEED MANAGEMENT IN TURMERIC (Curcuma longa L.)Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) is one of the most important spice all over the world, grown over an area of 194 (000’ ha) in India with an average production of 971 (000’ MT) and productivity 5MT ha-1. Turmeric is largely grown as a rainfed crop during kharif season, takes long time span of about 8–9 months. Delayed emergence, slow initial growth, poor canopy development of turmeric provides ideal environment for weeds to grow and cover the ground quickly and compete with the crop for nutrients, moisture and space causing considerable yield reduction of about 30-75 percent. A field experiment entitled “Integrated weed management in turmeric (Curcuma longa L.)”, was carried out on sandy loam soil, acidic in reaction (pH 5.9), having low organic carbon (4.2 g kg-1) and available nitrogen (243 kg ha-1) with medium available phosphorus (19.15 kg ha-1) and exchangeable potassium (188.16 kg ha-1) during kharif 2014 at Birsa Agricultural University farm, Ranchi to study the efficacy of weed control methods on weed dynamics, productivity and profitability of turmeric production. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design. The 15 treatments comprised of T1, T4, T7, T10, T11, T12 and T13 as integration of chemical and hand weeding i.e., metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 or atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 or oxyfluorfen 0.3 kg ha-1 or oxadiargyl 0.25 kg ha-1 PE or glyphosate 1.25 l ha-1 or glyphosate 1.85 l ha- 1 PoE each f.b. (followed by) 2 hand weeding at 45 and 75 DAP respectively; T2, T5 and T8 integrated with metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 or atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 PE each f.b. fenoxaprop 67 g ha-1 + metsulfuron 4 g ha-1 at 45 DAP respectively; T3, T6 and T9 integrated with metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 or atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 PE each f.b. straw mulch at 10 DAP f.b. hand weeding at 75 DAP respectively; T14 and T15 as hand weeding at 25, 45 and 75 DAP and un-weeded check respectively replicated thrice. Turmeric variety Rajendra sonia was grown as a test crop with spacing 40 x 25 cm. The experimental site was infested with all three categories of weeds broad leaved, grassy and sedge weeds accounting 60.41, 28, and 11.6 percent respectively of total weed density. Application of glyphosate 1.85 l ha-1 at 25 DAP f.b. 2 hand weeding at 45 and 75 DAP being similar to hand weeding recorded 14.22 percent reduced total weed density compared to hand weeding (253 m-2) at 30 DAP whereas, application of metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 PE f.b. fenoxaprop 67 g ha-1 + metsulfuron 4 g ha-1 at 45 DAP recorded 66.96 and 54.67 percent reduced total weed density compared to hand weeding (678 and 353 m-2 at 90 and 150 DAP respectively). Application of glyphosate 1.85 l ha-1 at 25 DAP f.b. 2 hand weeding at 45 and 75 DAP similar to hand weeding recorded 2.67 percent reduced total weed dry matter accumulation compared to hand weeding (43.96 g m-2) at 30 DAP, whereas metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 PE f.b. fenoxaprop 67 g ha-1 + metsulfuron 4 g ha-1 at 45 DAP recorded 44.24 and 52.27 percent reduced total weed dry matter accumulation compared to hand weeding (325.15 and 311.96 g m-2 at 90 and 150 DAP respectively). Application of atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 pre-emergence f.b. straw mulch at 10 DAP f.b. hand weeding at 75 DAP recorded 8.95, 136.47, 140.59 and 154.76 percent higher total dry matter accumulation by plants at 30, 90, 150 and 210 DAP compared to hand weeding (43.67, 370.97, 585.95 and 393.83 g m-2 respectively) and also recorded higher leaf area index at 90 and 150 DAP to the tune of 57.72 and 68.13 percent compared to hand weeding (1.23 and 0.91, at 90 and 150 DAP respectively); maximum curing % (22.71), curcumin content (7.0 %), oil % (4.2) and protein % (6.3). Similarly, it also recorded higher fresh (29.04 t ha-1) and cured (6.60 t ha-1) rhizome yield consequently higher gross return (7,25,917 ` ha-1) similar to metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 PE f.b. straw mulch at 10 DAP f.b. hand weeding at 75 DAP and pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 PE f.b. straw mulch at 10 DAP f.b. hand weeding at 75 DAP. However, maximum net return (6, 21,216 ` ha-1) and B:C ratio (5.93) was recorded with application of atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 PE f.b. straw mulch at 10 DAP f.b. hand weeding at 75 DAP. Hence, on the basis of one year data it can be concluded that application of atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 or metribuzin 0.7 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 preemergence followed by straw mulch and hand weeding at 75 DAP may be practiced for better crop growth, higher productivity and profitability of turmeric owing to better weed control efficiency.en-USnullThesis