WEED CONTROL IN PEA (Pisum sativum L.) THROUGH MULCHING

An experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm,NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar to study the effect of differentmulches for controlling weeds in edible pea (Pisum sativum L.). Thetreatments comprised of 5 mulches: white polyethylene, blackpolyethylene, wheat straw, newspaper, and saw dust as well as handweeding and a weedy check. Variety ‘Climax’ was planted on a plot size of5 x 1.6 m2 using randomized complete block (RCB) design, having threereplications during the last week of October 2007. The data were recordedon weed density (m-2) two weeks after treatment at first picking, days to50% pods formation, number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, podyield (kg ha-1). All the parameter except plant height was significantlyaffected by different treatments. Hand weeding and newspapers producedbetter results as compared to the other treatments. Maximum number ofpods plant-1 (50.87, 48.40), number of seed pod-1 (5.83, 5.80) and podyield (2707, 2613 and 2512 kg ha-1) were recorded in hand weeding,newspaper and polyethylene black treatments, respectively, whereasminimum values in these parameters were recorded in weedy check. Allmulches were effective and produced better results as compared to weedycheck, but due to their better performance newspapers and polyethylene(black) are recommended for the environment friendly and sustainablecontrol of weeds and realizing better yields of edible pea.