Growth and Yield of Peanuts Affected by Weeding Time and Periods in Bare Soil and Under the P. E. film Mulch

To know the effects of weeding periods (weeding from 12 days, 28 days and 42 days after seeding to harvest, and weeding from seeding to 14 days, 28 days and 42 days after seeding) and growing conditions such as transparent polyethylene film mulch (P.E. mulch) and bare soil on growth and yield of peanuts, Yeongho-Tangkong was planted on May 10, 1984. Under P.E. mulch, the number of weeds was higher, but the weed dry weight was lower than in bare soil by the middle of July. Sixty days after seedings, the length of main stems in weedy check plots was longer, but shoot dry weight was lower compared to weed free plot. In the correlation coefficients between weed dry weight and the shoot dry weight of peanut on July 14, the growth retardation of peanuts due to weeds was showed earlier under P.E. mulch than in bare soil. Shoot dry weight, shelling ratio, number of seeds per pod, 100 pod weight, and seed yield were higher under P.E, mulch compared to bare soil. But weed dry weight, length of branches, number of pod bearing branches, number of pods per square meters, and pod yield were similar between P.E. mulch and bare soil. Shoot dry weight of peanuts, length of branches, number of pod bearing branches, number of pods per square meters, pod yield, 100 pod weight, 100 seed weight, and seed yield in weed free plots from 28 days after seeding to harvest (28 DAS-Harvest) were higher compared to weed free plots from 42 DAS-Harvest. However, in the weed free plot from seeding to 42 days after seeding seed yield was lower than that of the continuous weeding plot due to lower number of pod bearing branches and number of pods per square meters. When weed was not controlled at the later growth stages of peanuts, reduction in seed yield due to weeds was greater in bare soil than that under P.E. mulch.