INFLUENCE OF PLANT POPULATION AND WEED MANAGEMENT PERIODS ON CROP-WEED COMPETITION OF GROUNDNUT

Abstract

Population density and weed competition in crops constitute the main limiting factors for groundnut crop yields in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during April to August, 2008 to investigate the optimum population density and the most appropriate weeding period of groundnut. Two plant population viz. i) 200,000 (D,) and ii) 400,000 plants ha·1 (D2) and seven weed competition periods viz. i) No weed competition (Well), ii) weed competition for the first 25 DAS and thereafter weed tree (we I), iii) weed competition for the first 40 DAS and thereafter weed free (We2), iv) weed competition for the tirst 55 DAS and thereafter weed tree (We), v) weed competition tor the first 70 DAS and thereafter weed tree (WC4), vi) weed competition for the first 85 DAS and thereafter weed tree (Wes) and vii) weed competition up to harvesting (WC.) were studied. It was evident from the result that yield and yield contributing all characters except number of primary branches, total pods and mature pods, were increased at a plant density of 400000 plants ha·'. Weed competition period for the first 40 DAS and thereafter weed free up to crop harvest emerged out positive responses on yield and yield contributing characters.