Title of Thesis

Weed Management Studies In Sugarcane (saccharum Officinarum L.)

Author(s)

Muhammad Zafar

Abstract
Impact of planting techniques, weed-crop competition periods, and weed control methods on yield potential of spring planted sugarcane variety HSF-240 was studied at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad. The study was comprised of two experiments laid out in RCBD with a split-plot arrangement, quad replicated, with net plot size of 3.6m x 10m. In both experiments, two planting techniques viz. 60 cm apart rows in flat sowing technique and 120 cm apart rows in trench sowing technique were randomized in main plot. In first experiment seven weed-crop competition periods viz. throughout full season weed free, weed-crop competition for 45 days after sowing (DAS), 60 DAS, 75 DAS, 90 DAS, 105 DAS, and full season weed-crop competition were kept in sub plots. In second experiment, eight weed control methods viz. ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 750 g a.i. ha-1, ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 + 4% urea, ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 562 g a.i. ha-1 + 4% urea, manual hoeing, ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 + mechanical weed control, ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 375 g a.i. ha-1 + sorghum & sunflower water extract each @ 15 L ha-1 and ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 187.5 g a.i. ha-1 + sorghum & sunflower water extract each @ 15 L ha-1 were randomized in subplots. Results revealed that on two years average, trench sowing by yielding 73.65 t ha-1 stripped cane yield, significantly superseded the flat sowing which gave 65.08 t ha-1 stripped cane yield.On the average of two years, zero competition (weed free throughout the season) recorded 92.21 t ha-1 stripped cane yield, significantly higher than any weedcrop competition period. However, weed-crop competition for 45, 60, 75, 90, and 105 DAS gave 104.26, 85.22, 75.40, 42.63, and 40.17 % stripped cane yield, respectively over weedy check. In second experiment, trench sowing gave significantly higher stripped cane yield of 76.20 t ha-1 than 71.40 t ha-1 in flat sowing technique. In weed control methods, ametryn + trifloxysulfuron @ 750 g a.i. ha-1 + mechanical weed control gave significantly higher stripped cane yield of 101.68 t ha-1 than all weed control methods as well as weedy check which gave 37.28 t ha-1.Different weed control methods gave 18.03 to 179.29 % higher stripped cane yields over weedy check.

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3.1 Site of experiment
3.2 Meteorological data of experimental station
3.3 Soil analysis of experimental site
3.4 Number of experiments
3.5 Experiments and treatments
3.6 Observations
3.7 Procedure for recording observations
3.8 Economic Analysis
3.9 Statistical analysis

EXPERIMENT-I
4.1 Weed parameters
4.2 Physiological parameters
4.3 Agronomic parameters
4.4 Quality parameters of sugarcane
4.5 Economic analysis
EXPERIMENT-II
4.1 Weed parameters
4.2 Physiological parameters
4.3 Agronomic parameters
4.4 Quality parameters
4.5 Economic analysis

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