COMPETITIVENESS OF HORSE PURSLANE WITH GROWTH AND YIELD OF COTTON
COMPETITIVENESS OF HORSE PURSLANE WITH GROWTH AND YIELD OF COTTON
Muhammad Bilal Niaz1, Abdul Ghaffar1, Khuram Mubeen1, Mahmood Alam Khan1
and Wazir Ahmed2
ABSTRACT
Horse purslane (Trianthema portulacastrum L.) is one of the major and problematic
weed of summer season in Pakistan that is responsible for yield reduction. A research trial
was carried out at Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture Multan during Kharif,
2018 to compare the competitive effect of horse purslane and other weeds for different
intervals regarding growth and yield of cotton. Horse purslane is considered the noxious
weed of cotton crop. Cotton is an important, fiber and cash crop of Pakistan. Its raw
material and other products are exported to other countries. The study was conducted using
the randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments were; horse
purslane free crop for whole season, horse purslane free crop for 30 days after sowing
(DAS), horse purslane free crop for 60 DAS, horse purslane and other weeds free crop for
whole season, horse purslane and other weeds free crop for 30 DAS, horse purslane and
other weeds free crop for 60 DAS, weedy check (horse purslane only), weedy check (all
weeds except the horse purslane) and weedy check (all weeds including horse purslane).
Weed density, weed dry biomass, crop growth and yield related parameters were recorded
following standard procedures. All recorded data were analyzed with the help of Fisher's
Analysis of Variance. The means of different treatments were separated by using Tukey’s
HSD test at 5% probability level. Horse purslane reduced the height of cotton plants by
26.51%, crop growth rate in terms of biomass by 28.44%, total dry matter 28.46% and
seed cotton yield by 45% as compared to weed free treatment for whole season. The
increase in yield in horse purslane free crop for whole season (23.45%), horse purslane free
crop for 30 DAS (14.27%), horse purslane free crop for 60 DAS (18.07%), horse purslane
and other weeds free crop for whole season (124.03%), horse purslane and other weeds
free crop for 30 DAS (63.48%) and horse purslane and other weeds free crop for 60 DAS
(103.73%) was recorded as compared to all weeds (weedy check). Treatment having horse
purslane and other weeds free crop for whole season gave high seed cotton yield than other
treatments. Whereas, the highest benefit cost ratio (1.70) was observed for plot that was
kept free from horse purslane and other weeds till 60 DAS.
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September 2020
Vol. 26, Iss. 3
