Effect of cultivar and weed control on weed growth and yield of pea (Pisum sativum)

In an experiment conducted during 1993-94 and 1994-95, two varieties of pea (Pisum sativum, L.s.l.) were subjected to the treatments of fluchloralin @ 1.0 kg/ha, pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg/ha, hand-weeding (HW) at 30 days after sowing, weed-free and weedy check to assess the relative response in terms of weed control and growth and yield of pea and associated weeds. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), lambsquarter (Chenopodium album L.), common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis L.) were the major weeds causing 24 to 29% reduction in grain yield. Pea 'JP 885' showed significant reduction in weed population and weed dry matter than 'JM 1' End increase in the gain yield. Fluchloralin @ 1.0 kg/ha or pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg/ha resulted in similar grain yield with that of hand-weeding at 30 days. The grain yield of pea was significantly negatively correlated with weed dry matter/m(2). With the increase of 1 g dry matter/m(2), the rate of reduction in grain yield was 3.185 +/- 1.253 kg/ha and 49.165 +/- 7.754 kg/ha during 1993-94 and 1994-95 respectively.