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International Journal of Agriculture, Environment & Biotechnology

Citation: IJAEB: 7(4): 805-810 December 2014

DOI Number: 10.5958/2230-732X.2014.01390.4

AGRONOMY

Screening of Weed Competitive Cultivars of Summer Green-

gram in Lateritic Soil of West Bengal

B. Duary 1 , M. Das 1 , K. Charan Teja 1 and M. K. Bhowmick 2

1 Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, Birbhum, West Bengal, India

2 Rice Research Station (Govt. of W.B.), Chinsurah (R.S.), Hooghly, West Bengal, India

Corresponding author: bduary@yahoo.co.in

Paper No. 271

Received: 17 October, 2014

Accepted: 16 November, 2014

Published: 18 December, 2014

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in two consecutive summer seasons of 2008 and 2009 at the Institute

of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal to screen out the weed competitive Green-

gram cultivars. Experimental plots were infested with grassy, broadleaved and sedge weeds. Digitaria

sanguinalis among grasses, Croton bonplandianum among broad leaved and Cyperus rotundus among

sedges were most predominant throughout crop season. Losses in seed yield of green-gram due to weed

infestation ranged from 7 to 37%. Among the cultivars, the plots of ‘WBM 34-1-1’, ‘WBM 04-5’ and ‘PDM

54’ registered lower number as well as dry weight of grasses, broadleaved, sedges and total weeds at

45 days after sowing (DAS) under both weedy and one hand weeding situations. These cultivars also

recorded higher values of yield attributes and seed yields. Yield components viz. number of pods/plant,

seeds/pod, test weight as well as seed yield were significantly reduced in weedy situation, compared

with one hand weeding at 30 DAS in all the cultivars excepting ‘PDM 54’ and ‘WBM 04-5’, where

no significant reduction due to weed competition was recorded, indicating higher weed competitive

abilities of both the cultivars. The cultivars ‘WBM 34-1-1’, ‘WBM 04-5’ and ‘PDM 54’ appeared to be

promising towards suppressing weeds and producing higher seed yields in lateritic soil of West Bengal.

Highlights

Competitive crop cultivars are an important cost-effective tool for the management of weeds causing

yield reduction to the extent of 7-37% in summer greengram.

‘PDM 54’, ‘WBM 04-5’ and ‘WBM 34-1-1’ were identified as promising weed competitive greengram

cultivars.

Keywords: Greengram, weed competitive cultivars, summer season, yield reduction

In India, the food grain production has increased

Pulses have a unique property of maintaining and

from 82 million tonnes (mt) in 1961-62 to 257 mt in

restoring soil fertility through biological nitrogen

2011-12 (Ayyappan, 2012). The country holds the

fixation as well as improving physical properties of

pride of being world’s largest producer of pulses,

soil by virtue of their deep root system (Neelam et

contributing 17-18 mt to the global pulse basket.

al . 2014). Among them, green-gram [ Vigna radiata (L.)

There was a record production of 18.09 mt in an

Wilczek] is an important short duration grain legume

area of 26.28 million hectares (m ha) during 2010-

having wide adaptability and low input requirement.

11 (Ali et al ., 2012). But it is still short of the present

Even the crop is well suited to a large number of

consumption level. As a result of which the country

cropping systems and constitutes an important

is forced to import pulses to the tune of 2.0-2.5 mt.

source of high quality protein in the cereal-based