Role of Planting Patterns and Weed Control Methods on Growth and Development of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)

Background: The field experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India during Rabi season 2023-24 to find out the role of planting patterns and weed control methods on growth and development of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.). Methods: The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. In main plots, four planting patterns i.e. two rows per bed (90 cm), ridge sowing (45 cm), flat sowing (45 cm) f.b. earthing up, flat sowing (45 cm) and in sub plots, four weed control treatments, i.e. black plastic mulch, white plastic mulch, hand weeding f.b. straw mulch (5 t ha-1) and unweeded (control) were kept. Result: The results of the study revealed that weed count and weed dry matter in flat sowing (45 cm) f.b. earthing up was significantly less than flat sowing (45 cm) and among weed control treatments, black plastic mulch recorded significantly less weed count and weed dry matter than other treatments. Plant height, dry matter per plant, seed yield and biological yield were found significantly higher in flat sowing (45 cm) f.b. earthing up as compared to flat sowing (45 cm). Black plastic mulch and white plastic mulch recorded significantly higher growth and yield parameters than unweeded (control). The seed yield in flat sowing (45 cm) f.b. earthing up was 33.5% higher than flat sowing (45 cm). Black plastic mulch recorded 85.28% higher seed yield over control, which was significantly more as compared to all other treatments. It was concluded that the combination of flat sowing (45 cm) f.b. earthing up and black plastic mulch gave better results as compared to all other treatments.