Effect of organic weed management practices on weed control and yield of soybean-gram cropping system under irrigated condition

The significantly lower weed density and biomass, at 40 days after seeding (DAS) was recorded in weed free plots followed by soil solarization with 25 g polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding at 25 DAS in soybean and gram during both the years. Among the weed management practices, combination of stale seedbed + reduced spacing + mulching with wheat straw (2 t/ha) + one HW at 25 DAS recorded higher soybean equivalent yield. Higher net returns and benefit: cost ratio was observed in soybean + sun hemp incorporation after 35–40 DAS in Kharif and gram + safflower (2:1) intercropping in Rabi season, followed by stale seedbed + reduced spacing + mulching with wheat straw (2 t/ha) + one HW at 25 DAS. Application of two hand weeding (20–25 and 45–50 DAS) recorded higher values of yield attributes.