EFFECT OF SOIL-MOISTURE CONSERVATION AND WEED-CONTROL ON THE NUTRITION AND SEED YIELD OF PEARLMILLET (PENNISETUM-GLAUCUM) UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITION

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 1 988 and 1989 under rainfed condition, to study the effect of soil-mois ture conservation and weed-control practices on N, P and K uptake, and yield of pearlmillet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. emend. Stuntz]. Moisture-conservation practices proved beneficial only in scanty rainf all year of 1989. Straw mulch either used in flat bed or ridge and fur row seed-bed caused significant reduction in dry-matter accumulation a nd N, P and K depletion by weeds compared with flat bed and ridge and furrow alone. However, grain yield and nutrient uptake by pearlmillet improved significantly with ridge and furrow + straw mulch nad ridge a nd furrow alone. Hand-weeding and atrazine @0.50 kg/ha were found most efficient treatments in reducing dry-matter accumulation and nutrient depletion by weeds in both years and in increasing grain yield and nu trient uptake by pearlmillet only in good rainfall year of 1988.