Critical period of weed control in radish (<i>Raphinus sativus</i> L.)

Abstract

A field study was carried out at Crop Farm of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka to determine the critical period for weed control and the effects of weed interference in radish in the regosols of the Batticaloa District. An increasing series of the duration of weed interference and length of the weed-free periods were imposed weekly from 0 to 40 days after emergence (DAE). The beginning and the end of CPWC were based on 5, 10 and 20% acceptable yield loss levels (AYL), which were determined by fitting logistic and Gompertz equations to relative yield data, representing increasing duration of weed-interference and weed-free periods. The critical period for weed control increased to 31 days, starting at 7 days and ending at 38 days, at 5% yield loss level. At 10% and 20% yield loss levels, the CPCW decreased to 12 and 8 days respectively, starting at 18 DAE and ending at 30 DAE, and beginning at 13 DAE and ending at 21 DAE, respectively.