Response of summer okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.] In relation to growth and yield attributes on the application of weed management practices and fertility levels

A field experiment was carried out during summer season of 2008 on a loamy sand soil at Regional Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, District: Banaskantha (Gujarat) to study the eight weed management practices i.e., Unweeded control (W0), Weed free (i.e., Hand Weeding at 20, 40 and 60 DAS) (W1), Hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS (W2), Interculturing at 20 and 40 DAS (W3), Pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha (Blanket application) (W4), W4 + Interculturing at 20 DAS (W5), W4 + Interculturing at 40 DAS (W6) and W4 + Hand Weeding at 40 DAS (W7) along with two fertility levels i.e., 75 % recommended dose of NPK (i.e., 112.5 - 37.5 - 37.5 NPK kg/ha) (F1) and 100 % recommended dose of NPK (i.e., 150 – 50 - 50 NPK kg/ha) (F2) on okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.] crop. Results shows that finally weed free treatments W1 (H.W. at 20, 40 and 60 DAS) recorded the highest number of nodes per main stem and it was at par with treatments W2 (H.W. at 20 and 40 DAS) and W7 (W4 + H.W. at 40 DAS). Numbers of fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant were also significantly highest with weed free treatment. Treatment combination of W0F2 recorded the highest dry weight of weeds (252.54 g/m2).