Effect of Weed Control on Performance of Guinea Grass-Legumes Intercropping System under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2006–2011 on sandy loam soil at Central Research Farm of Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi to study the effect of weed control on performance of Guinea grass-legumes intercropping system under rainfed conditions. Intercropping of Stylosanthes hamata with Guinea grass produced significantly higher total dry forage (5.18 t/ha) than Clitoria ternatea (3.89 t/ha), Macroptillium atropurpureum (4.19 t/ha) and S. seabrana (4.67 t/ha) during 1st year of experiment. While during 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, intercropping of Stylosanthes seabrana with Guinea grass produced significantly higher total dry forage yield (9.56, 6.56 and 6.04 t/ha) than Clitoria ternatea (7.92, 5.23 and 4.49 t/ha), Macroptillium atropurpureum (8.12, 5.34 and 4.76 t/ha) and S. hamata (8.76, 5.97 and 5.26 t/ha). In total dry forage yields, per cent contribution of S. seabrana were 34.90, 31.17, 41.62 and 40.73 during 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years respectively. Crude protein yields (812.3, 587.0 and 538.7 kg/ha) were also increased significantly when guinea grass intercropped with S. seabrana than intercropping with C. ternatea, Macroptillium atropurpureum and S. hamata. In weed management practices, hand weeding 35 days after sowing in 1st year and 25 days after onset of monsoon rain from 2nd year onwards recorded significantly higher dry forage yields of both Guinea grass (3.52, 7.81, 4.53 and 4.21 t/ha) and legumes (1.81, 2.48, 2.15 and 1.72 t/ha) than weedy check, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha and weeding with weeder cum mulcher during 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years, respectively. The Maximum net return ( 4232, 20778, 14532 and 15390/ha) and net return per rupee invested ( 0.38, 2.26, 1.64 and 1.63) were obtained by intercropping of Guinea grass with S. seabrana during 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years of study. Hand weeding 35 days after sowing in 1st year and 25 days after onset of monsoon rain from 2nd year onwards also recorded maximum net return ( 3771, 17053, 9796 and 10183/ha) during all the 4 years.