Integrated use of herbicide and straw mulch in suppressing the weed species in summer sesame (Sesamum indicum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the summer (pre-kharif) season of 2016 at the Agricultural Farm of the Institute of Agriculture (Palli Siksha Bhavana), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal. The experiment comprising two factors; three cultivars and five weed management practices was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. Digitarla sanguinalis, among the grasses; Cyperus rotundus, among the sedges and Spilanthes acmella, among the broadleaved weeds were predominant throughout the cropping period of sesame {Sesamum indicum L .) . The cultivar Rama recorded significantly the lower values of weed density, dry weight; higher values of capsules per plant (40), seeds per capsule(53) and seed yield (1181 kg ha-1) of sesame. Among the weed control treatments, integrated use of pendimethalin at 1.0 kg ha-1 at 1 PE + straw mulching at 3.5 t ha-1 at 15 DAS registered the lower weed density as well as dry weight of grassy, broadleaved, sedge and total weeds at 45 and 60 DAS; higher number of capsules plant-1 (41), seeds capsule-1(49), seed yield (1123 kg ha-1) and higher weed control efficiency (94.36%) at 60 DAS. The cultivar Rama with pendimethalin at 1.0 kg ha-1at PE + straw mulching at 3.5 t ha-1 was found to be effective in controlling composite weed flora. Lower values of weed density and weed dry weight; higher values of yield and yield attributes of sesame and weed control efficiency were registered with combination of cultivar Rama and pendimethalin at 1.0 kg ha-1 at PE + straw mulching at 3.5 t ha-1 at 15 DAS. The treatment straw mulching at 3.5 t ha-1 was found to be effective in controlling broadleaved weeds. Thus, integrated use of weed competitive cultivar Rama along with pendimethalin at 1.0 kg ha-1 at PE + straw mulching at 3.5 t ha-1 at 15 DAS appeared to be the most promising approach for effective weed management and obtaining higher productivity of summer sesame.