All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Phulbani – 762 001, Orissa
Online published on 22 July, 2013.
An experiment was conducted at the research farm of AICRPDA (OUAT), Phulbani during the period 2006–08 to study the biological attributes of Mimosa invisa including effect of three seed rates such as 2.5 kg ha−1, 5 kg ha−1 and 10 kg ha−1 on growth rate, biomass production, weed suppression and soil organic matter improvement under natural growth condition. On single plant basis, the overall increase in plant growth over time was highest with the least seed rate of 2.5kg ha−1 and lowest with highest seed rate of 10 kg ha−1 but total biomass production was maximum with the highest seed rate. There was rapid growth rate from 60 days to 110 days with respect to plant height, branches per plant, average length of branches, leaves per plant and fresh weight of shoot, root and nodules. At 140 days after sowing, the number of mimosa plants m−2 with seed rates of 2.5kg, 5.0kg and 10.0 kg ha−1 were 17, 30 and 52, respectively and the dry-biomass were 288, 398 and 426 g/m2, respectively. Maximum weed suppression (62%) was observed when mimosa seeds were sown @ 10 kg ha−1. However, sowing of 5 kg seeds ha−1 exhibited almost similar weed suppression (57%) as 10 kg ha−1.
Mimosa invisa, seed rate, growth and biomass, weed suppression, organic carbon
