INFLUENCE OF IRRIGATION AND WEED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON NODULATION AND YIELD OF FENUGREEK ( TRIGONELLA FOENUM-GRAECUM L)

Abstract

A field trial was conducted in rabi season of 2006-07 and 2007-08 at Sardarkrushinagar to study effect of irrigation and weed management practices on nodulation and yield of fenugreek. The experiment consisting of three levels of irrigation ( 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 IW/CPE ratios) in main plot and six weed control treatments (Weedy check, weed free, hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS, Hand Weeding (HW) at 20 + Inter–culturing (IC) at 40 DAS, Pre emergence (PE) application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg /ha and PE application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg/ ha + IC at 40 DAS) in sub plots was laid in split plot design with four replications. Irrigation at 1.0 IW/CPE ratio gave significantly more number of nodules per plant and their dry weight at 40 and 60 DAS and leaf chlorophyll content in fresh leaf at 75 DAS as well as seed, straw and biological yields over 0.8 and 0.6 IW/CPE ratio but B:C ratio was recorded higher with 0.8 IW/CPE ratio. Significantly more number of nodules per plant and their dry weight at 40 and 60 DAS and leaf chlorophyll content, higher seed yield, straw yield, biological yield and B:C ratio were recorded with PE application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg / ha + IC at 40 DAS followed by HW at 20 and 40 DAS which were statistically at par with each other and with weed free treatments and significantly superior over rest of the treatments but weed control efficiency at maturity was recorded higher with two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS.