Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CHEMICAL WEED MANAGEMENT IN GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSC.)

T. Ganapathi, S.V. Patil and G.R. Rajakumar

Abstract

The low yields in ginger due to varieties, poor weed management, high incidence of rhizome rot and weather are known facts. Spraying the plots with weedicides either on the day of planting or next day reduce the emergence of both monocot and dicot weeds and increase the yield of rhizomes. Filed experiments were conducted in farmers fields on Red sandy loam soil at Sirsi with pre-emergent weeedicides in Ginger. Among the treatments, plots sprayed with Diuron @ 1.0 kg ai/ha recorded significantly lower weed density (24.70 monocots and 9.5 Dicot), weed biomass for monocots (fresh & dry weight gm/sq.m) 60.9 & 33.7 respectively & for Dicot (fresh & dry weight gm/sq.m) 27.8 & 15.7g/sq m respectively and the highest plant height of the ginger crop was noticed in plots sprayed with Alachlor @ 1.5kg ai/ha (88.3 cm) followed by Butachlor with 82.9cm. The highest number of tillers per hill was noticed in the plots sprayed with Butachlor @ 1.5 kg ai/ha (12.0). The highest rhizome yield (24.10 t/ha) was obtained in the plots treated with Diuron @ 1.0 kg ai/ha which was on par with Alachlor @1.5 kg ai/ha and Butachlor @1.5 kg ai/ha which was significantly superior over rest of the treatments. Treatment with Alachlor @ 1.50 kg ai /ha recorded the lowest monocot (21.47 per sq. m.) and dicot (7.80 per sq. m.) weeds density. Treatment with Alachlor @ 1.50 kg ai /ha recorded the highest plant height of ginger (83.65 cm.) and treatment with Butachlor @ 1.50 ai per ha. recorded more no, of tillers (10.67). Plots treated with Alachlor @ 1.50 kg ai /ha recorded the highest rhizome yield (2.07 kg per sq. m and 20733.33 kg per ha) followed by Butachlor @ 1.50 kg. ai per ha.