WEED MANAGEMENT IN MUNGBEAN (Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek) USING DIFFERENT METHODS AND ROW SPACING

A research project was initiated in 2009 at NationalAgricultural Research Centre, Islamabad to find outmechanical means of weed control in mungbean crop.Mungbean variety NM-06 was sown at varied row spacing.Different methods were employed to control weed flora. Theexperiment was laid out in a randomized complete blockdesign with three replications. Besides fresh and dry weightof weeds, the data were recorded on various growth andyield parameters of mungbean plants. Results revealedsignificant variation in various plant traits and weedspopulation due to different row spacing and weedmanagement practices. Among the various weed controlmethods, once manual weeding with hand-pulled terphali, athree angular tine device in 35 cm row spacing producedsignificantly higher yield of 649 kg ha-1 compared to controltreatment (No weeding) with grain yield of 216 kg ha-1 .Thedata further revealed that maximum decrease in weeddensity of 75 %, in weed fresh and dry weight of 31 and 45%, respectively occurred in 60 cm row spacing using tractorpulleddevice when compared to control. The results suggestthat use of hand-pulled terphali keeping row spacing at 35cm seems an economical, safe and environment friendly wayof weed control and improves grain yield in mungbean.