Influence of cultural and weed management approaches on economics and soil microbial load in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

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.