Integrated Weed Management in Ginger (Zingiber officinale) for Higher Productivity in Plains of Assam

A field experiment was conducted in Instruction-cum-Research Farm of Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat district, Assam, India during 2014-15 and 2015-16 to identify a suitable combination of ginger and cowpea intercropping along with different weed management practice to effectively manage the weeds in ginger. It is a widely spaced and long duration crop, gives growers plenty of opportunities to utilise the available vacant space at the early growth stage of the rhizome to grow any short duration leguminous intercrop. A total of 16 numbers of treatment combinations were considered, comprising of 4 legume intercropping systems and 4 weed management practices. Intercropping of legume crop Cowpea either in between the rows of Ginger and incorporated at 40 days after sowing (DAS) or in between alternate rows of Ginger and incorporated at 40 days after sowing (DAS) and pre-emergence application of Metribuzin 500 g ai ha-1 + hand weeding (HW) at 70, 100 and 140 days after planting (DAP) recorded better results in terms of ginger growth and rhizome yield.