Effect of integrated weed management on weed dynamics and performance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) + mustard (Brassica juncea L.) intercropping

Abstract

A field experiment was undertaken during Rabi 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the Agricultural Research Farm of J.V. College, Baraut (Baghpat), Uttar Pradesh to evaluate the effect of integrated weed management practices on weed dynamics and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) + mustard (Brassica juncea L.) intercropping system. The experiment was laid out in split plot design comprising two factors: main plot treatments included Sole Wheat (I1), Sole Mustard (I2), Wheat + Mustard (6:1) (I3) and Wheat + Mustard (9:1) (I4), while sub plot treatments consisted of Weed free (W1), Two hand weeding at 30 & 45 DAS (W2), Pendimethalin @ 1 kg ha-1 as PE + Clodinafop 60 g ha-1 as PoE (W3), Pendimethalin @ 1 kg ha-1 as PE + Hand weeding at 30 DAS (W4) and Weedy check (W5). The findings revealed that weed free & two hand weeding at 30 & 45 DAS (W2) recorded maximum weed control efficiency at 45 DAS, 90 DAS and at harvest, followed by pendimethalin @ 1 kg ha-1 as PE + hand weeding 30 DAS (W4), and both were significantly superior over remaining treatments during both years. Wheat sole gives the maximum grain yield of wheat, among cropping systems, Wheat + Mustard (9:1) (I4) produced highest grain yield of wheat (4.65 & 4.82 t ha-1) and minimum seed yield of mustard (4.1.0 &4.8 q ha-1), which remained statistically at par with Wheat + Mustard (6:1) (I3). Under weed management treatments, Next to weed free W2 resulted in maximum grain yield of wheat (4.65 & 4.84 t ha-1) and mustard (16.6 & 17.1 q ha-1), closely followed by W4 and W5. The study indicated that two hand weeding at 30 - 45 DAS can be considered an efficient and practical weed management approach in wheat– mustard intercropping.