WEED MANAGEMENT AND YIELD IMPROVEMENT IN MUNGBEAN THROUGH ALLELOPATHIC ACTION OF SUNFLOWER AND BERMUDA GRASS EXTRACTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH IRRIGATION FREQUENCIES

A field study was conducted to evaluate the allelopathic potential of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon L.) extracts under various irrigation levels on weed density and yield of mungbean cultivar AEM-96. The experiment consisted of different weed control practices i.e. weedy check, various levels of sunflower/bermuda grass extracts, herbicides and hand weeding under three irrigation frequencies (2, 3 and 4). The analysis variance showed that various weed control practices caused significant suppression of weeds and increased seed yield as compared to weedy check. The application of sunflower extract @ 15 L ha-1 in combination with herbicides (atlantis @ 0.1 L ha-1 + puma super @ 0.156 L ha-1) resulted in minimum weed parameters viz. density (52.0 m-2) and dry weight (99.0 g m-2) and produced maximum mungbean growth and yield traits particularly seed yield (2404 kg ha-1). Bermuda grass extract @ 15 L ha-1 in integration with herbicides (atlantis @ 0.1 L ha-1 + puma super @ 0.156 L ha-1) followed in effectiveness with weed density of 61.0 m-2 and weed dry weight of 132.0 g m-2 as well as mungbean seed yield of 2282 kg ha-1. As much as irrigation frequencies are concerned, the least weed density (82.0 m-2) was recorded in two irrigations but optimal seed yield (1965 kg ha-1) of mungbean was noted in three irrigations. Hence, the results suggested that combination of plants extracts and herbicides at reduced doses controlled weeds efficiently and optimum enhancement in seed yield of mungbean was noticed at three irrigations.