EFFECT OF POTASSIUM LEVELS AND WEED CONTROL METHODS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MUNGBEAN

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the research plot of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University farm, Dhaka during the period from February, 2017 to June, 2017 to study the effect of potassium levels and weed control methods on the growth and yield of mungbean. The treatment consisted of three potassium level viz. K = Control (No Potassium), K 1 = Recommended dose of potassium (R), K = 30% increased of R and four weed control methods viz., W 0 = No weeding (control), W 2 = One hand weeding at 15 days after sowing (DAS), W 2 1 0 = Two hand weeding at 15 DAS and 30 DAS, W = One paraxon (Paraquat dichloride) spray at 15 DAS. The experiment was laid out in Split plot design with three replications. The seeds of BARI mung-6 variety were the test materials. The highest plant height (16.98, 27.71, 37.92, 43.35 and 45.30 cm at 15, 25, 35, 45 and 55 DAS, respectively), number of branches (4.51, 7.26, 9.48, 10.09 and 10.54 cm at 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 DAS, respectively), number of leaflets (6.04, 11.90, 14.55, 16.00 and 17.00 at 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 DAS, respectively) and dry weight plant (0.75, 2.50, 5.54, 6.34 and 7.30 at 15, 25, 35, 45, and 55 DAS, respectively) were observed K 2 ×W treatment combination. The lowest number and dry weight of Smooth crabgrass (13.68 and 55.50 g), Purple nut sedge (25.37 and 18.77 g), Jungle rice (24.58 and 99.17 g), Bermuda grass (3.03 and 0.10 g), Indian goose grass (0.75 and 5.85 g), Alligator weed (7.49 and 0.74 g), Green amaranth (1.43 and 0.21 g), Common purslane (0.15and 0.08 g) and Spreading dayflower (0.12 and 8.29 g) at harvest were observed in (K 2 × W 2 2 ). The highest plant height (27.90), pod length (9.48 cm), seeds pod (10.22), weight of 1000 seeds (41.75 g), seed yield (1.63 t ha -1 -1 ), strove yield (2.76 t ha ), biological yield (4.37 t ha -1 ) and harvest Index (37.13%) were observed in the 30% increased of recommended dose of potassium with two hand weeding (K ). The lowest plant height (21.08 cm) was observed in control (No potassium and no weeding) (K 0 × W ). The results in this study indicated that the plants performed better in respect of seed yield and others yield contributing characters in K 0 2 ×W (30% increased of recommended dose of potassium with two hand weeding) treatment than the control treatment ( K 0 ×W 0) . Interaction of K 2 ×W 2 2 (30% increased of recommended dose of potassium with two hand weeding) was found to the most suitable combination for the highest yield of mungbean.