Effect of different weed control techniques on the leaf yield and nutritional qualities of Ocimum sanctum

Abstract

Ocimum sanctum is a leaf‐vegetable and spice crop with several nutritional, therapeutic, and curative properties. Economic losses due to weeds have posed a major challenge to farmers, who have adopted different techniques to manage weeds without regard to its effect on the crop's nutritional qualities. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of weed control techniques on weed eradication, leaf yield, and nutritional qualities of O. sanctum. Nine weed control techniques comprising black, red, and transparent polyethylene mulches, rice husk and sawdust mulches, daily removal of weed (DROW), hoe‐weeded, application of Haloxyfop post‐emergence herbicide spray (PEHS), and un‐weeded were investigated in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Significant variations in leaf‐yield and nutritional qualities among the different weed control techniques were recorded. Leaf yield was higher in plots treated with rice husk and black polyethylene mulches. Haloxyfop PEHS and transparent polyethylene mulch were superior in enhancing the proximate and vitamin contents of O. sanctum while black polyethylene and DROW were more efficient in weed control compared with the other weed control techniques. The use of polyethylene mulch as an effective weed management option offers numerous benefits for agriculture and gardening. Its ability to conserve moisture, suppress weed growth, and improve the crop microclimate, makes it a sustainable and cost‐effective option for farmers globally. Additionally, the use of herbicide to exploit plant biosynthetic pathways could lead to the unearthing of chemical innovations that could in addition to eradicating weed, also improve the nutritional qualities of crop.