Effect of crop-establishment methods and weed management on nutrient uptake microbial population and productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Bikaner, Rajasthan, during the winter (rabi) seasons of 201617 and 201718, to find out the efficacy of crop establishment and weed-management on weed, the yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and its residual effect on succeeding summer greengram [Vigna radiate (L.) R. Wilczek]. The treatments in wheat during the winter seasons, comprising 28 combinations having 4 crop-establishment methods and 7 weed- management options, was laid out in a strip-plot design with 4 replications. Wheat variety Raj 3077 was sown at 22.5-cm-row spacing using a seed rate of 100 kg/ha. Both stale seedbed and deep tillage methods reduced the density and dry matter of all most weeds at all the stages significantly in comparison to conventional tillage, while stale seedbed using glyphosate at 2.0 kg/ha proved itself best among all the treatments. Metsulfuron @ 4.0 g/ha + 1 hand-hoeing significantly decreased the weed density and dry matter of all the weeds except nut grass (Cyperus rotundus L.) and Burmuda grass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] over all herbicidal treatments. The yield of wheat was significantly higher under state seedbed using glyphosate at 2.0 kg/ha followed by stale seedbed SSB using shallow tillage over deep and conventional tillage. In weed management, metsulfuron @ 4.0 g/ha + 1 hand-hoeing significantly increased the yield over other herbicidal treatments. Stale seedbed technique was significant superior in nutrient uptake by grain and straw to deep and conventional tillage. In weed management, metsulfuron 4.0 g/ha + 1 hand-weeding given better response over remained applied treatment. The crop-establishment methods had not significant effect on fungi, bacteria and dehydrogenase activity. In weed-management treatment lowest microbial population were recorded under metsulfuron-treated plot at 7 days after application, whereas at 30 days after application and harvest stage had not significant variation