RESPONSE OF SUMMER OKRA [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.]

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench.] belongs to the family Malvaceae, is one of the important vegetable crops of subtropical and tropical regions. It is widely grown all over India for its immature tender fruits, which are used as vegetable in a variety of ways. The roots and stems of okra are used for clearing the cane juice in the manufacture of jaggery and sugar as an organic blenching agent. Monocot, dicot, sedge and total weeds population at 20 DAS were found significantly lowest under treatment (W7) i.e., pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha (W4) + Hand Weeding at 40 DAS (3.20, 2.75, 2.99 and 5.07 per m2, respectively) as compare to rest of treatments but it was found at par with treatment (W5) i.e., W4 + interculturing at 20 DAS (3.22, 2.77, 3.04 and 5.13 per m2), W6 i.e., W4 + interculturing at 40 DAS (3.26, 2.84, 3.05 and 5.20 per m2) and W4 i.e., pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha (3.27, 2.85, 3.06 and 5.21 per m2), respectively. Application of 100 per cent recommended dose of NPK fertilizers proved beneficial (BCR of Rs.3.15) over 75 per cent of the recommended dose.