Study on the major gardenland weeds in the Vayalogam soil series of southern Tamil Nadu

Weeds are a major issue in crop production, accounting for more than 45% of yield loss. As a result, timely and appropriate weed management practices should be used to achieve good crop stand and yield. Knowledge of the major weeds is extremely helpful in selecting appropriate weed management practices. This study was conducted during 2022 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to identify the major weed flora in the Vayalogam series of Tamil Nadu. Fifteen crops viz., maize, sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, barnyard millet, foxtail millet, blackgram, greengram, cowpea, gingelly, groundnut, safflower, cotton, tobacco and sunnhemp were sown and various observations on the weed phytosociological attributes were recorded. The results revealed the major weed flora present and the crop which was least and highly susceptible to weed infestation. Phytosociological attributes of weeds viz., density, frequency, relative density, relative frequency, importance value index and summed dominance ratio, identified Trianthema portulacastrum as the major weed and millets and pulse crop showed greater tolerance to weeds growth due to quicker growth in the Vayalogam soil series of southern Tamil Nadu. Hence, millets and pulses can be grown in these areas with minimum weed management practices.