Composition of weeds and yield as affected by different weed management and planting patterns in field pea and baby corn intercropping system

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive seasons of rabi 2011-13 at Crop Research
Centre of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar to find out the effect of
planting pattern and weed management practices on weed growth and yields of field pea and
baby corn in field pea (Pant P-13) + baby corn (Surya) intercropping system. The experiment was
laid out in split plot design keeping four planting patterns as main plot and four weed management
practices as sub plot with three replications. Paired planting of maize (30/60 cm) + field pea (2:2)
and planting of maize + field pea (1:1) had lower total weed density than sole planting of field
pea or baby corn. Sole planting of field pea recorded significantly higher grain (2264 and 1434 kg
ha–1) and straw yields (3263 and 2540 kg ha–1) during 2011-12 and 2012-2013 than yield obtained
as a component crop in paired planting of maize (30/60 cm) + field pea (2:2) and planting of
maize + field pea (1:1). Baby corn yield was similar in sole, paired (2:2) and 1:1 planting but
significantly higher stover yield of baby corn (3576 kg ha–1 and 3533 kg ha–1,during 2011-12 and
2012-2013 respectively) was obtained from sole crop than other planting methods during both the
years. The lowest total weed density (66.5 and 67.3 plants m–2, during 2011-12 and 2012-2013
respectively) was recorded in hand weeding at 90 days after sowing which was followed by preemergence
application of pendimethalin 1 kg ha–1, post-emergence application of imazethapyr
50 g ha–1 and weedy check. Hand weeding, pre emergence application of pendimethalin 1 kg
ha–1 and post emergence application of imazethapyr 50 g ha–1 (30 DAS) improved yields of field
pea and baby corn than weedy check.