Weed Management Strategies for Organic Farming of Kharif Groundnut

RK Mathukia*, MA Shekh, BK Sagarka and RL Davaria

Received: December 04, 2017;   Published: December 14, 2017

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000592

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Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2015 and 2016 at Junagadh (Gujarat) to study the weed management in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under organic farming. The pre-sowing (Deep ploughing, stale seedbed and soil solarization) and post-sowing (Wheat straw mulch @ 5 t/ha, hand weeding & interculturing at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, Weed-free check and Weedy check) treatments were evaluated. The results revealed that stale seedbed, followed by soil solarisation were found effective in controlling weeds and improving growth and yield attributes and ultimately pod and haulm yield over deep ploughing. Results further indicated that hand weeding & interculturing at 15, 30 & 45 DAS and wheat straw mulch @ 5 t/ha significantly suppressed weed growth and enhanced growth and yield of groundnut.

Groundnut is a major crop of Saurashtra region and demand of organically produce groundnut is increasing day by day due to health conscious and premium price of organic product tempted to farmers for organic cultivation. Organic farming is a production system, which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetically compound to maximum extent feasible. organic farming rely upon crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures, green manures, off farm wastes, mechanical cultivation, mineral bearing rocks and aspect of biological pest control to maintain soil productivity, to supply plant nutrients and to control insects, pathogens and weeds [1].

Weeds are widely reported as a key constraint in organic farming and organic weed management relies on preventive, mechanical, physical, cultural and biological methods, but these tools must be used in an integrated, multi-strand approach. In addition to direct and cultural techniques, timeliness, vigilance and an understanding of farm ecology are also important factors in effective weed management [2].

Generally, in organic farming weeds are managed by integrating various methods, among them, adoption of stale seed bed techniques in which one or two flushes of weeds are destroyed before planting the crop and deep ploughing methods buried the weed seeds in deeper soil layer or destroyed through sun heating to some extent. Sarma and Gautam [3] reported that tillage system and stale seed bed techniques in maize significantly reduce weed density, weed dry weight and increased grain yield. Soil solarisation during summer month desiccate weed seeds present at top soil depth [4]. Study on groundnut showed that soil solarisation suppressed weeds and increase groundnut yield [5] and Sundari and Kumar [6]. Application of organic mulch also found effective for controlling weeds but also add organic matter in soil. Therefore, an experiment is plan to find out most effective and economically viable combination of preventive, mechanical, physical and cultural methods of weed control to manage the weeds in kharif organic groundnut.

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