Vol. 10, Issue 7 (2021)

Author(s):
Anchal Nag, VK Gupta, Neha yadav, KL Nandeha, MC Bhambri, N Pandey, Tapas Choudhary and Sunil Agrawal

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted in the experimental plots of Instructional Cum Research Farm, I.G.K.V., Raipur, Chhattisgarh, during rabi season of the year 2019. Design of experiment was RBD with three replications. The soil of the experimental field was vertisols and climate was dry sub-humid climate with annual rainfall between about 1200 and 1400 mm. The objectives of experiment were to the study the performance of various weed management practices on growth and yield of rabi tomato under organic production system. The treatments constituted with nine weed management W1(Hand weeding at 20, 40, 60 and 80 DAT), W2 (Mechanical weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAT + one hand weeding at 60 DAT), W3 (Intercropping with cowpea 1:1), W4 (Stale seed bed + reduced spacing upto (25%)+ mulching with paddy straw + one hand weeding at 20 DAT) and W5 (Weed mulching + one hand sweeding at 20 DAT), W6 (Incorporation of neem cake 15 DBT @ 5 tonnes/ha + one hand weeding at 20 DAT), W7 (Two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAT, W8 (Mulching with waste polythene bags (ITK)), W9 (Weedy check). As regards to the effect of various weed management practices the stale seed bed + reduced spacing (up to 25%) + mulching with paddy straw + hand weeding at 20, 40, 60 and 80 DAT treatment showed maximum weed control efficiency and minimum weed index. The yield was positively related to percent reduction of weed density, biomass and weed control efficiency. The highest net return was obtained under mulching with waste polythene bags (ITK-practices) and the highest B:C ratio was computed under stale seed bed + reduced spacing (up to 25%) + mulching with paddy straw + hand weeding at 20, 40, 60 and 80 DAT. However, the highest gross return was incurred in stale seed bed + reduced spacing (up to 25%) + mulching with paddy straw + hand weeding at 20 DAT.