Influence of Weed Control Measures and Nutrient Management on Nutrient Content, Uptake and Nutrient use Efficiency of Fennel Crop (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.)

Abstract

A research experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2021-22 at the College of Agriculture, SKRAU, Bikaner. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the influence of different nutrient management and weed control treatments on the nutrient content, uptake and nutrient use efficiency of fennel crop. The experiment consisted of sixteen treatment combinations, which included four nutrient management treatments and four weed control measures. The nutrient management treatments included control (no fertilizer applied), 75 % RDF, 100 % RDF and 125 % RDF and four weed control measures- weed free, pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg ha-1 (PE), oxyfluorfen @ 50g ha-1 (POE at 25 DAS) and weedy check.  These treatments were replicated three times in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD), ensuring the reliability and accuracy of the results. The weed-free treatment was found to be significantly better in increasing the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content in both the seed and straw of the crop. Additionally, the weed-free treatment also resulted in higher nutrient uptake by the crop compared to the weedy check treatment. Among the nutrient management treatments, the application of 100% RDF showed the most promising results. It improved the nutrient content in both the seed and straw of the crop and recorded the highest nutrient use efficiency. This efficiency was found to be at par with the application of 125% RDF and significantly higher than the remaining treatments. Overall, the experiment demonstrated the importance of weed control and proper nutrient management in enhancing the nutrient content and uptake by the crop. The weed-free treatment and the application of 100% RDF were identified as the most effective strategies in achieving these goals. These findings can be valuable for farmers and agricultural practitioners in optimizing crop productivity and ensuring sustainable agricultural practices.