Effect of Dates of Sowing and Weed Management Practices on Grass Weed, Sedge Weed and Broad Leaved Weed Density of Summer Sesame

At Instructional Farm in Jaguli, a field experiment was carried out in the summer of 2022 and 2023 at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya Mohanpur, West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three main plot treatments (dates of sowing) and eight sub plot treatments (weed management practices) replicated thrice. Main plot treatments comprised of three dates of sowing i.e. D1: Sowing on February 21st, D2: Sowing on March 7th, and D3: Sowing on March 22nd. Sub plot treatments comprised of eight weed management practices i.e. W1. Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i. ha-1 [2 DAS (days after sowing)] + Hand weeding (30 DAS),W2:: Butachlor@ 1kga.i. ha-1(2 DAS)+Hand weeding(30 DAS),W3: Hand weeding(15DAS)+ Quizalofop ethyl @ 50 g a.i. ha-1 (30 DAS), W4: Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i.ha-1 (2 DAS) + Quizalofop ethyl @ 50 ga.i. ha-1 (30 DAS), W5: Butachlor @ 1 kg a.i.ha-1 (2 DAS) + Quizalofop ethyl @ 50 g a.i. ha-1 (30 DAS),W6: Hand weeding (15 DAS) + Hand weeding(30DAS),W7:Weedy check and W8:Weed free check. Sesame variety ‘Savitri’was chosen for the experiment. The weed density (Grass weed density, sedge weed density, broad leaved density and total weed density were significantly influenced by weed management practices only. Interactions between dates of sowing and weed management practices were found to be non-significant. Among the weed management practices, (W1) Pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i. ha-1 (2 DAS) + Hand weeding 30 DAS observed significantly lower grass, weed, sedge weed, broad leaved weed and total weed density (7.94 m-2) were noticed. The highest total weed density (12.75 m-2) was observed in weedy check (W7).