Vol. 8, Issue 10, Part A (2024)

The present investigation was carried out at Horticultural Research Station, Anantharajupeta, Annamaya district, Andhra Pradesh during rabi, 2023-2024. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with two main plots and seven sub plots replicated twice. Main plots include without stale seed bed (M₁) and stale seed bed (M₂), subplots include S₁ -Unweeded check, S₂ - Weed free through hand weeding, S₃ - Mulching with polythene sheet of thickness 25 microns, S₄ - Mulching with polythene sheet of thickness 50 microns, S₅ - Weed mat of 110 GSM, S₆ - Oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC (Pre emergence) @ 0.15 kg a.i /ha + hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAT and S₇ - Oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC (Pre emergence) @ 0.15 kg a.i /ha + Quizalofop ethyl 5% EC (Post emergence) @ 0.05 kg a.i /ha applied at 20 and 40 DAT. The results recorded that highest gross returns, net returns and benefit cost ratio was obtained with (M₂S₄) stale seed bed with polythene mulch (50 microns) followed by (M₁S₄) without stale seed bed with polythene mulch (50 microns). Before transplanting influence of cultural practice on soil microbial load (fungal & bacterial) alone was significant, which was highest in M₁-Without stale seed bed compared to M₂-Stale seed bed. At harvest, among weed management practices, highest bacterial population was observed in unweeded check (S₁) followed by weed free through hand weeding (S₁) and non-significant difference was observed in cultural practices and their interaction effects with other weed management approaches.