Two-Year Evaluation of Ecofriendly Weed Management Practices and their Influence on Soil Chemical Properties and Yield in Organic Tomato

Abstract

A two-year field experiment (2022-2024), conducted under an RBD with nine treatments, evaluated eco-friendly weed management practices at PJTAU Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. The study assessed their effects on soil properties, apart from weed suppression, and crop yield. The soil pH (7.54–8.13 in 2022–2023 and 7.77–8.16 in 2023–2024) and electrical conductivity (0.58–0.63 dS m-1) remained statistically unaffected across treatments, indicating stable soil reaction and salinity under organic management. However, cation exchange capacity (CEC) showed significant variation, with rice straw mulch and hoeing treatments recording the highest values. Yield data revealed that among organic-compatible options, poly mulch with intra-row hand weeding (21.34 and 18.07 t ha⁻¹) and rice straw mulch with hand weeding (19.04 and 16.57 t ha⁻¹) were most effective, while the unweeded control resulted in the lowest yields (2.17 and 2.48 t ha⁻¹). The findings highlight the potential of mulching-based weed management as a sustainable alternative to chemical herbicides, contributing to soil health maintenance and enhanced productivity in organic tomato.