Impact of Mulching on Wheat Yield and Weed Floras in the Mid-hills of Nepal

Abstract

Studies on the effect of mulching and weed management strategies in wheat  were initiated at Khumaltar during the winter season of 2000-2002. The  treatments were weedy check, handweed alone, post emergence application  of sulfosufuron, and NPK application together with or without mulching.  Rice straw mulch was applied at the rate of 4 t/ha. Phalaris minor,  Alopecuros sp., Chenopodium album, Rumex crispus, Polygonum  hydropiper, Stellaria media, Cannabis sativa, and Soliva anthemifolia were  the dominant species. Among them, C. album, P. minor and Alopecuros  aqualis were the dominant species. The effect of mulching was seen six  weeks after wheat planting. The weedy check with mulch suppressed the  weeds about fifty percent compared to that of without mulching. Wheat  yields together with yield attributing characters were also higher in the  treatments with straw mulch. Nepal Agric. Res. J. Vol. 9, 2009, pp. 21-26 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/narj.v9i0.11638