Effect of weed management strategies on weed dynamics and yield of kharif brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)

Weed infestation is a major constraint in brinjal production, competing with crop plants for essential resources such as nutrients, moisture, light and space. In brinjal cultivation, a critical crop-weed competition period can cause substantial yield reduction of up to 49–90 %. The diverse weed flora, comprising grasses, sedges and broad-leaved weeds, makes control difficult. A field experiment was conducted at Post Graduate Research Farm, M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture (MSSSoA), Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM), Paralakhemundi, Odisha during kharif season of 2025 to assess the effectiveness of different weed management strategies including cultural, mechanical and chemical methods on weed dynamics, crop growth and yield performance in brinjal. The study was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD) with recommended agronomic practices. Observations were recorded on crop growth parameters and yield attributes along with weed density, weed dry weight, weed index (WI) and weed control efficiency. The results indicated that the weed-free plot along with all soil solarisation-treated plots performed better in crop growth and gave a good yield as well as significantly controlled the weeds. The highest yield was recorded in the weed-free plot i.e., 24.7 tonne (t) ha-1, followed by the [soil solarisation + 1 hand weeding at 30 days after transplanting (DAT)] plot (22.4 t ha-1) and the lowest yield was recorded in the weedy check plot i.e., 2.4 t ha-1, where weed infestation was more at 30 and 60 DAT. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the first principal component accounted for 92.08 % of the total variance (eigenvalue >1), justifying trait selection across two distinct clusters. Combined correlation demonstrated a significant impact of weed density of grasses and sedges on vegetative and yield-associated traits 60 DAT, highlighting the critical weed competition period. Economic study revealed that soil solarisation followed by one hand weeding at 30 DAT resulted in lower weed density and biomass and was found to be effective for weed control in brinjal, resulting in a higher fruit yield and the maximum benefit-cost ratio (2.4 : 1).