Weed Management in Spring Maize (Zea mays) through Cultural Practices in Punjab

A field experiment to investigate the effect of different irrigation methods and live mulching on weed in spring maize was conducted at students’ Research farm, Khalsa College, Amritsar during 2015. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with four replications. The experiment comprised treatments viz., cowpea, moong and mash as live mulch with different irrigation methods i.e. conventional furrow irrigation method (CFI), alternate furrow irrigation method (AFI) and fixed furrow irrigation method (FFI). The data showed that live mulch of cowpea, moong and mash significantly reduced the weed density and weed dry matter than control. Higher weed control efficiency was recorded in cowpea mulching followed by moong and mash. Among different irrigation methods FFI and AFI significantly reduced the weed population than CFI. The higher WUE and less weed count were observed in FFI method and cowpea live mulch. All weed control treatments resulted in significant enhancement in maize yield.