EFFECT OF TILLAGE AND SOWING METHODS ON WEED BIOMASS AND MUNGBEAN YIELD UNDER IRRIGATED CONDITIONS

A field experiment was conducted to find the effect of tillage practices and sowing methods on weed biomass, biological and grain yield of mungbean under irrigated conditions at the Research Farm of the University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan during 2011. The experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement and replicated four times. Tillage was assigned to main plots which consisted of tine cultivator twice (TC-2), farmer tillage practices, chisel plow (CR), mouldboard plow (MR), disc plow (DR) and tine cultivator (TCR) each followed by rotavator; while sowing methods consist of single box seed drill (SD), combined drill (CD) and broadcast (BC) allotted to sub plots. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that tillage practices had a significant effect on fresh and dry weed biomass and grain yield of mungbean. Similarly, sowing methods showed significant effect on weed biomass, biological and grain yield of mungbean. Minimum fresh and dry weed biomass (323 and 143 g m^-2) and maximum biological yield of 5253 kg ha^-1were recorded in plots plowed with MR tillage practices. While, maximum grain yield of 959 kg ha^-1 was obtained with TCR tillage practices. Similarly, minimum weed biomass and maximum biological and grain yield of mungbean were recorded in plots of SD and CD sowing methods as compared to broadcast. Therefore, in order to reduce weed infestation in mungbean MR tillage practice and SD or CD sowing method should be used and for improving the biological and grain yields MR and TCR tillage in combination with CD or SD sowing method are best under irrigated condition of Peshawar in clay loam soils.