Hand weeding, Nutrient uptake, Pendimethalin, Peas, Phosphorus, Stale seedbed
Three P2O5 levels, viz. 0, 30 and 60 kg/ha were evaluated under six weed management practices, viz. weedy check, pendimethalin followed by (fb) hand weeding (HW), stale seedbed (SSB), SSB + pendimethalin fb HW, raised stale seedbed (RSSB) and RSSB + pendimethalin fb HW in pea during Rabi 2006-07 and 2007-08 on a silty clay loam soil at Palampur. Phalaris minor, Vicia sp. and Polygonum alatum were the major weeds found growing in association with peas. Stale seedbed and raised stale seedbed were significantly superior to weedy check in reducing total weed dry weight, weed growth rate, NPK depletion by weeds and increasing crop dry matter, crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR), NPK uptake by crop and subsequent radish yield. Superimposition of pendimethalin + hand weeding further improved the effectiveness of stale seedbed and raised stale seedbed in reducing total growth rate of weeds and NPK depletion by weeds and increasing crop dry matter, CGR, RGR, NPK uptake by crop and subsequent radish yield. Weeds in weedy check removed 39.3 and 53.6 kg N/ha, 16.5 and 16.6 kg P/ha and 24.1 and 27.4 kg K/ha during the first and second year, respectively. All weed control methods being at par resulted in significantly higher available P content after pea harvest. Weed dry weight and growth rate of weeds, NPK uptake by green pods and straw of pea, nodules/plant, available soil N and P after harvest of pea and subsequent radish yield increased with increase in the rate of P. NPK depletion by weeds, crop dry weight, CGR and RGR increased upto 30 kg P2O5/ha.