Can mulching-based weed management practices influence okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) production under organic farming?

Okra is infested by successive flushes of diverse weed flora throughout its growing season with competition particularly intense in direct-seeded crops. Hand-weeding is a predominant weed control method used by farmers. However, it is very tedious, sometime inefficient, time-consuming and associated with high labour demands. Labour scarcity and high costs make manual weeding challenging. A field experiment at the Center for Organic and Natural Farming (CONF), SKUAST-J, Chatha, using okra variety Jammu Okra-05, showed that while weed-free conditions gave the best results, organic mulches also proved effective. Application of sawdust @ 1.0 t/ha or saccharum @ 5 t/ha combined with one hand weeding at 30 days after sowing (DAS), or 2 hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS, produced comparable growth and yield. These treatments except saw dust application, were not found economical because of having manual labour which is expensive and many times unavailable to the farmers. Therefore, the study pointed out that saw dust or wood dust, which is a by-product or waste product of woodworking operations such as sawing, sanding, milling, planing and routing, applied in low volume, after sowing of the seeds suppress weeds and maximise yields in okra. The study revealed that adding small amounts of sawdust helps to prevent weeds from popping through or even spreading in the field, that helps in achieving higher yields and better premiums.