Pre- Emergence Herbicides and Mulches Affect Weed Flora and Marketable Yield of Chili Crop

Abstract

The influence of different mulches and herbicides on the weed flora and marketable yield of chili was evaluated at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar. The pre-emergence herbicides (dual gold, stomp) were applied with various either alone or in combination with mulches of wheat's straw, transparent polythene, and black polythene. The interaction of mulches and herbicides and significantly affected the weeds flora of chili crop. The weedy control had the highest density of Java grass followed by Crab grass, Bindweed, spurge weed, Prostrate sandmate and pig weed. Whereas, herbicides and mulches decreased the density of weeds flora, the least density of Java grass was followed by Crab grass, Bindweed, spurge weed, Prostrate sandmat and pig weed, recorded in plots with stomp + black polythene mulch treatment, followed by stomp + transparent polythene mulch. The wheat straw mulch was superior in weed control but inferior to polythene mulches. The number of leaves per plant, canopy diameter, number of fruit per plant and marketable yield in control plants increased to the maximum in plot treated with stomp. The least mean number of leaves per plant, canopy diameter, number of fruit per plant and marketable yield in control plants also increased with mulching. However, the maximum number of leaves per plant, canopy diameter, number of fruit per plant and marketable yield was recorded with black polythene mulch. It can be concluded that black polythene mulch and Stomp application were the most effective treatments in decreasing density of different weeds and increasing marketable yield of chili crop.