Growth and yield of fennel as influenced by weed control measures and nutrient management

A field experiment was conducted, to study the effect of by weed control measures and nutrient management on growth and yield of fennel, at Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Bikaner during the Rabi season of 2021-22. There were 16 treatment combinations with four nutrient managements: control, 75% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), 100% RDF and 125% RDF and four weed control measures: weed free, pre-emergence application (PE) of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha, post-emergence application (PoE) of oxyfluorfen 50 g/ha at 25 DAS and weedy check. A factorial randomized design with three replications was used. The reduction in weed density, biomass and increase in fennel growth and yield were significantly higher with pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha PE than with oxyfluorfen50 g/ha PoE. Weed-free recorded the highest fennel seed yield, biological yield and net returns while pendimethalin0.75 kg/ha PE recorded the highest B: C ratio. Among nutrient levels, 100% RDF recorded the highest fennel seed yield, biological yield and net returns.