YIELD AND QUALITY OF POTATO AS INFLUENCED BY WEED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND THEIR RESIDUAL STUDY IN SOIL

摘要

A field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2002-03 and 2003-04 to study the effect of weed management practices on yield and quality of potato. Lowest weed biomass at harvest was found in prometryne (0.1 kg/ha PE) treated plots, followed by pendimethalin (1.0 Kg/ha PE) and metribuzin (0.5 kg/ha PE). Similarly highest yield of potato tubers was recorded in plots treated with prometryne (0.1 kg/ha PE), next best treatments were pendimethalin (1.0 Kg/ha PE), metribuzin (0.5 kg/ha PE) and two hand weedings. Highest dry matter content of potato tubers was recorded in fluchloralin followed by alachlor, one earthing and mulching, all being significantly superior to hand weeding treatment while higher dry matter yield was recorded in prometryne (0.1 kg/ha PE), pendimethalin (1.0 Kg/ha PE) and metribuzin. Ascorbic acid content was highest in pendimethalin treated tubers followed by fluchloralin and paraquat. Protein content was highest in pendimethalin treated tubers followed by metribuzin and prometryne, while maximum starch content was found in prometryne, followed by fluchloralin and mulching treatments. No residual activity of herbicides applied to potato was found in post harvest soil.