Back B. Marambe and U. R. Sangakkara
Department of Crop Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Full Paper (PDF File: 144KB)
Abstract
The adverse effects of weeds on tropical crop yields are generally more pronounced in organic farming systems because farmers rely mainly on cultural and mechanical weed control measures in lieu of herbicides which have a more dramatic effect. Nevertheless, more effective non-chemical weed control methods are urgently needed to improve the sustainability of organic farming systems. Effective Microorganisms (EM) has been reported to effectively control weeds in Kyusei Nature Farming systems. Thus, a study was conducted to determine the effect of EM on weed populations, weed growth, and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L, ) grown with organic amendments during the dry season of three consecutive
years. The application of organic amendments alone suppressed weed growth,
although the variation between years was not significant. EM applied with
organic amendments enhanced weed growth the first year which then declined
significantly with time. EM applied with a green manure (i.e., Gliricidia leaves) significantly increased tomato yields throughout the study; in the third year, the yields due to EM were comparable to those obtained with chemical fertilizer.