SPOUTING BEHAVIOUR OF WEEDS THROUGH MULCH MATERIALS AND THEIR NON-CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT IN CHILI (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.)

With an aim to develop non-chemical weed management practices for green chili, an experiment was conducted at Jorhat, Assam, during 2017-19 and multi-location trials during 2020-21. Altogether seven non-chemical treatments were tested with the recommended herbicide and control. The results revealed that weeds successfully sprouted through mulch materials. Weed Control Efficiency and Weed Control Index were above 80% under Biodegradable Plastic Film (BPF) mulching and stale-seedbed treatments. The yield loss caused by the competitive weeds varied from 53.74% to 84.66%. Use of (i) rice straw mulching followed by one hand weeding at 75 DAP and (ii) BPF mulching emerged as superior non-chemical techniques of weed management resulting in better crop growth and yield. Rice-straw mulching followed by one Hand Weeding yielded as much as 6.45% more green chili than BPF mulching, 17.43% more than mechanical weeding thrice and 23.83% more than the application of herbicide.