Abstract
An experiment was conducted to fmd the possibilities of weed suppression in strawberry through mulches and herbicides by observing fresh weed biomass and phenology of strawberry. The trial was laid out in RCB design at "New Developmental Farm" The University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Three different row-row spacing (30 cm, 60 cm and 90 cm) and eight different weed control strategies (Stomp (pendimethalin), Dual gold (S-metolachlor), Percept (haloxyfop-p-methyl), white plastic mulch, wheat straw mulch, saw dust mulch, hand weeding and weedy check) were used in the experiment. The results showed that maximum weed suppression was found for plots with hand weeding. However percept herbicide also caused low fresh weed biomass and dry weed biomass. Row spacing and different weed control methods significantly affected most of the growth and yield related parameters of strawberry. Results revealed that fresh and dry biomass were higher in wider row spacing (90 cm) in control plots. Whereas the minimum was deciphered for 30 cm row spacing and hand weeding treatment followed by Percept and white Plastic used as mulch. Data regarding fruit size showed that highest number of fruit size were noticed for 60 cm row spacing for hand weeding and percept treatments and less was noted at 90 cm row spacing in weedy checks. From the study we concluded that hand weeding in 60 cm row spacing along with application of herbicide Percept could be effective for the management of weeds in strawberry, similarly, use of white plastic as a mulch may decrease weeds infestation and improve yield of strawberry in agro-ecological conditions of Peshawar.