WEED FLORA AND

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WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

Potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the

Solanaceae family (also known as the nightshades).

Potatoes were first introduced outside the Andes region

four centuries ago, and have become an integral part of

much of the world's cuisine. World's fourth-largest food

crop, following rice, wheat and maize.

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WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Weed flora of the experimental field predominantly consisted of

five broad-leaved weed species and one grass weed species.

The weeds present in the experimental field were Spergula

arvensis, Polygonum nepalense, Raphanus raphanistrum, Bidens

pilosa, Galinsoga parviflora under broad leaved weeds and

grasses weed was Pennisetum clandestine.

Broad leaved dominated the weed flora which accounts for about

70-80 per cent followed by grasses.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Spercula arvensis

A common weed in potato field and also called as

corn spurrey, belongs to the family Caryophyllaceae.

It is annual seed-propagated weed. Cotyledons are very

slender, linearly needle-shaped, standing diagonally

upward. Foliage leaves are linearly awl-shaped , 2-3 cm

long, sticky haired, in whorled tufts. Stems are erect or

ascending in groups or prostrate, jointly articulated, up to

40 cm high or long. Number of seeds per plant are from

1000-10,000.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Boll is wide ovate, opens with 5 folds or does not open. Seeds are

small,1-1.8 mm in diameter, black, with narrow brownish margin.

Germination period is spring, seed germination depth is 0.5-3 cm.

Flowering period is summer-autumn.

Number of seeds per plant are from 1000-10,000.

It is widely spread in Western Europe, Northern Africa, Northern

America, China, India and Japan. Infests all crops, occurs in kitchen

gardens, fallow lands, along roadways, near habitation.

Weed is stable under average agriculture conditions only.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Polygonum nepalense (Nepalese smartweed) is a annual belongs to

the family polygonaceae. Polygonum nepalense can grow in semi or

areas with no shade.

Polygonum nepalense

Usually common in damp shaded situations, 1700 - 2000m

in Srinagar. Stems decumbent or ascending, 20-40 cm tall.

Lower leaves petiolate; petiole 2-3 cm, winged, leaf blade

ovate or triangular.

Capitate type inflorescence ,peduncle long, glandular hairy;

margin membranous. Pedicels shorter than bracts.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Fruiting type is achenes. Tender young leaves are short - raw or cooked as a vegetable.

A paste of the root is used as a poultice on fresh

wounds Germination is usually free and easy.

A juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers.

The squeezed plant is used for washing clothes.Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Raphanus raphanistrum is a annual belongs to the

family Brassicaceae. It is an annual and biennial,

leaves are alternate. Very often pinnately incised and

do not have stipules.

Raphanus raphanistrum

They have four free saccate sepals and four clawed free petals, staggered ,six

stamens, four of which are longer (as long as the petals, so relatively short in fact)

and are arranged in a cross like the petals and the other two are shorter

(tetradynamous flower).

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The pistil is made up of two fused carpels and the style is very short, with two lobes. Superior ovary. Racemose type of inflorescences, often apically corymb-like.

Pollination occurs by entomogamy, nectar is

produced at the base of the stamens and stored on

the sepals.

WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

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Bidens pilosa (Cobbler’s pegs)

It is a annual herb belongs to the family Asteraceae

(Compositae) commonly known as Spanish Needle.

This plant is considered a weed in some tropical habitats.

However, in some parts of the world it is a source of food or

medicine.

For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, the tender shoots and

young leaves are used fresh or dried as a leaf vegetable,

particularly in times of scarcity weak annual herb usually a

metre or less in height, with spreading branches

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Each head has five or so white ‘petals’ (rays) around a

dense cluster of orange florets. These rapidly mature

to star-heads of the dry pronged fruitlets.

Leaves are in opposite paris, this, soft and hairy, mostly divided but also

undivided. The flowers (summer-autumn), technically heads of tiny

flowers, terminate all branches and branchlets.

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Cardamine impatiens

It is a slender, biennial herb produces sterile

leaves.

Cardamine impatiens belonging to Brassicaceae.

Leaves are pinnate with several

pairs of lanceolate.

The seeds are arranged in one

row on each side of the central

membrane of the narrow pod

and are ejected out in a shower

due to the tension formed as the

seed pod (silique) dries.

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The fruit is a peculiar kind of capsule named siliqua.

Most members share a suite of glucosinolate compounds that has a typical pungent odour usually associated with cole crops

The siliqua may break apart at constrictions occurring between the segments of the seeds.

Where a siliqua is less than three times as long as it is broad, it is usually termed a silicula