Author(s): A. KUMAR, M. KUMAR, S. GHOSH, 1T. TEWARI AND 1S.B. BHARDWAJ

Abstract: Weed management in crops through hand weeding is facing a tough challenge in many developing countries like India where workers are migrating from rural to urban areas in search of better job and lifestyle opportunities. Manual weeding option is facing acute shortage of labour. The present investigation was therefore carried out to ascertain the influence of weed management practices on growth and flowering of chrysanthemum variety Garden Beauty. The experiment consisted of seven treatments comprising of hand weeding, herbicides, weed free check and weedy check replicated thrice in randomized block design. Among the weed control treatments, the minimum weed count (35.50), fresh weight (22.78 g), and dry weight (7.51 g) of weeds/m2 were recorded with the treatment pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha -1at 75 days after transplanting. Various vegetative and flowering characteristics like maximum plant height at first bud appearance, number of branches plant-1, plant spread, minimum days taken to colour break stage, days taken to full bloom stage, duration of flowering, number of flowers plant-1, flower diameter,rnweight of loose flowers plant-1, yield of loose flowers ha-1 and vase life were improved at the application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1.

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