Author(s): B. A. MUJAHED, S. S. RANA, SHALLEY AND G. HETTA

Abstract: Three cropping systems viz. maize – wheat, maize + cowpea – wheat + gram and okra + pole bean – cabbage + garden pea were evaluated under four production practices viz. integrated nutrient management (INM), organic management (OA), natural farming (NF), and conservation agriculture (CA) for appraisal on weeds floristic diversity at Palampur. Weed flora was composed of 17 species during kharif 2019, 14 during rabi 2019-20 and 15 each during kharif 2020 and rabi 2020-21. Commelina benghalensis L. (13%) was the most dominant weed during kharif 2019 followed by Persicaria hydropiper (10%), Cyperus sp (9%), Artemisia vulgaris (9%), Echinochloa colona (8%), Alternanthera philoxeroides (8%), Polygonum alatum (7%) and Galinsoga parviflora (5%). Ageratum conyzoides L. (27%) was the most dominant weed during kharif 2020 followed by Cyperus sp (19%), P. alatum (15%), C. benghalensis (8%), E. colona (7%), A. philoxeroides (4%), A. vulgaris (4%), Bidens pilosa (4%) and Trifolium repens (4%). The major weeds during rabi 2019-20 were Tulipa asiatica (18%), Stellaria media (8%), Ranunculus arvensis (8%), Poa annua (8%), Phalaris minor (7%), Coronopus didymus (7%), Anagallis arvensis (7%), Fumaria parviflora (7%), Lolium temulentum (6%) and Vicia hirsuta (6%). While, S. media (17%), P. annua (11%), Vicia sativa (10%), C. didymus (10%), T. asiatica (9%), Plantago lanceolata (7%), L. temulentum (7%), P. minor (6%) and Avena ludoviciana (6%) were the major weeds during rabi 2020-21. Irrespective of production and cropping systems, C. benghalensis was the most important weed during kharif 2019 with IVI ranging from 26.4 to 36.8 under production systems and 22.8 to 45.2 under cropping systems. This was followed by P. hydropiper, A. vulgaris and E. colona. During kharif 2020, A. conyzoides was the most important weed with IVI value of 40.9-69.8 in production systems and 60.7-69.2 in cropping systems. This was followed by Cyperus sp. and P. alatum. T. asiatica was the most important weed during the rabi 2019-20 season with IVI value ranging from 33.8 to 57.3 under production systems and 40.8 to 42.6 under cropping systems. This was followed by P. annua, R. arvensis and S. media. During rabi 2020- 21. S. media was the most important weed with IVI value of 34.5-44.3 in production systems and 38.9-44.6 in cropping systems. This was followed by P. annua and V. sativa. Simpson’s index of diversity and Simpson’s reciprocal index indicated higher weed diversity under INM and OA treatments followed by NF (P1) treatment during kharif 2019, while, the lower diversity as per these indices was under CA (P4). During kharif 2020, Simpson’s index of diversity and Simpson’s reciprocal index were highest for the CA closely followed by INM among production systems.

DOI: 10.22271/09746315.2023.v19.i1.1671

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