PARTHENIUM WEED COMPOST: AN ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY WAY OF ITS CONTROL AND TO HARNESS ITS ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT

Profitable and environment friendly management of parthenium weed through composting and subsequent utilization as nutrient option alone or in combination with other nutrient sources was studied on chili crop in District Nowshera, Pakistan during 2013 crop season. Six treatments; the control, N:P2O5:K2O (60:60:30 kg ha^-1), Farmyard manure (FYM, 10 t ha^-1), parthenium weed compost (PWC, 10 t ha^-1), 50% FYM+50% NPK and 50% PWC+50% NPK were arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 2 m^2 treatment plot size each one replicated three times. Results showed that initially (40 days after transplant) weed density decreased with nutrients application from all sources and amongst the organic sources, the parthenium weed compost (PWC) showed 72% and farmyard manure (FYM) showed 23% reduction in weed density over the control. At the middle of the growth period of the crop (80 days after transplant), FYM recorded 53% higher weed density over the control and 46% higher over the PWC. At maturity of the crop (120 days after transplant), weed density in FYM was again the maximum (23% higher over the control). On the other hand, PWC showed 39 and 13% and 50% PWC + 50% NPK showed 37 and 12% reduced weed density over the FYM and the control, respectively). Weed fresh and dry biomass were initially higher in the control but at the middle of the growth stages of the crop and at maturity, the FYM showed fresh biomass by 89, 62 and 110% and dry biomass by 123, 76 and 79% higher over the PWC, 50% PWC+50% NPK and the control, respectively. At maturity of the crop, same trend for fresh and dry weed biomass was observed but the chili total yield was observed to be 4 times higher in 50% PWC+50% NPK and 2.4 times higher in the PWC treatments over theFYM. The study concluded that 50% PWC+50% NPK showed significant reduction of weeds as well as increase in chilli fruit yield and is recommended as a nutrient source and profitable management strategy of parthenium weed.