Performance of different weed management practices on weed dynamics, growth, yield and economics of taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.)

An experiment was conducted to find out most suitable weed management practices for weed management in taro during the year 2021-22 to 2022-23 at Agricultural Research Farm, Dholi of Tirhut College of Agriculture under Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa (Bihar) in sandy loam soil in randomized block design having eight treatments [T₁-Application of quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.i./ha at 25 DAP + Application of glyphosate 41 SL @ 1000 g a.i/ha at 45 & 90 DAP; T₂-Application of quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.i./ha at 25 DAP + Hand weeding at 45 and 90 DAP; T₃- Hand weeding at 30 DAP+ Application of glyphosate 41 SL @ 1000 g a.i/ha at 60 and 90 DAP; T₄-Sowing cow pea in interspaces and incorporation at 45 DAP + Application of glyphosate 41 SL @ 1000 g a.i/ha at 90 DAP; T₅- Mulching with black polythene sheet; T₆- Straw mulching in interspaces ; T₇- Complete weed free (hand weeding at 30, 60 and 90 DAP); T₈- Control (weedy plot)] with three replications. It was found that significantly lowest weed population (8.73/ m²) and weed dry weight (2.38 g/ m²) was recorded in T₅ than weedy plot and found at par with other weed management practices and the extent of reduction was to the tune of 82.02 to 94.82 and 92.94 to 98.09 percent, respectively with respect to weedy plot. Plant height, number of green leaves/plant, number of tillers/plant recorded in T₇ was significantly higher than weedy plot and the increase were to the tune of 42.96 to 60.19, 26.62 to 46.54 and 42.32 to 60.75 percent, respectively. Similar trend was also noticed for corm and cormel yield/plant, number co cormels/plant and corm and cormel yield on hectare basis. The extent of increase in cormel yield was to the tune of 54.22 to 81.12 percent respectively with respect to weedy plot which may be may be due to the effective weed control of weeds from the field during the crop period that kept almost weed free situation and provided environment of least competition for growth factors to taro plants and loosening of soil by hand weeding thrice favoured aeration in the root zone and congenial condition for cormel bulking of taro. In fact, yield of cormel is the cumulative effect of growth factors and yield attributes that ultimately reflected in yield realization. Net return in all the treatments of weed management was significantly higher than that of weedy plot and the increase in net return ranges from 113.27 t to o 84.04 percent but B: C ratio did not follow the same trend as above. Significantly higher value of B: C ratio was recorded in T₅ and the increase was to the tune of 77.48 to 22.10 percent as compared to weedy plot.