Track 2-2-1: Plant Diseases, Insect Pests and Weed Management

Description

Weeds are integral part of any farming system. Weeds are more aggressive in their ability to utilize limited moisture and nutrients in the soil relative to cultivated crops. Weeds grow more profusely in high rainfall areas such as subtropical Meghalaya owing to favourable climatic conditions which favours the growth of weeds particularly in uplands and limits the crop yields due to increased crop-weed competition for nutrients and light. The weed species such as Ageratum conyzoides, Spilanthus acmella, Galinsoga parviflora, Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Polygonum capitatum, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthus spinosus and Mikania micrantha are very common in most of the cultivated crops. These weeds are also very common in grazing lands, wastelands, agroforestry systems, abandoned fields etc. in northeast India and some of them are also consumed as green vegetables by the local inhabitants. Most of these weeds are also a menace in fodder cultivation and managing grasslands. A high rate of photosynthesis is always associated with higher productivity, unless sink capacity is limiting. However, studies on photosynthesis and its associated parameters in relation to crop-weed competition are limited. Therefore, an attempt was made to study the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and other associated parameters in major crops and the associated weed species under hill environment.

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Physiological Efficiency of some Weeds Species under Hill Farming Systems of Subtropical Meghalaya

Weeds are integral part of any farming system. Weeds are more aggressive in their ability to utilize limited moisture and nutrients in the soil relative to cultivated crops. Weeds grow more profusely in high rainfall areas such as subtropical Meghalaya owing to favourable climatic conditions which favours the growth of weeds particularly in uplands and limits the crop yields due to increased crop-weed competition for nutrients and light. The weed species such as Ageratum conyzoides, Spilanthus acmella, Galinsoga parviflora, Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Polygonum capitatum, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthus spinosus and Mikania micrantha are very common in most of the cultivated crops. These weeds are also very common in grazing lands, wastelands, agroforestry systems, abandoned fields etc. in northeast India and some of them are also consumed as green vegetables by the local inhabitants. Most of these weeds are also a menace in fodder cultivation and managing grasslands. A high rate of photosynthesis is always associated with higher productivity, unless sink capacity is limiting. However, studies on photosynthesis and its associated parameters in relation to crop-weed competition are limited. Therefore, an attempt was made to study the photosynthesis rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and other associated parameters in major crops and the associated weed species under hill environment.