WEED FLORA AND DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO

1. WEED FLORA AND DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO NEXT END

2. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO Potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennialSolanumtuberosum of the Solanaceaefamily (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,wheatand maize. NEXT PREVIOUS END

3. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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 fieldwere 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

4. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO Spercula arvensis A common weed in potato fieldand also called ascorn 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

5. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

6. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

7. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO Fruiting type is achenes. Tender young leaves are short - raw or cooked as a vegetable. A juice of the root is used in the treatment of fevers. A paste of the root is used as a poultice on fresh wounds Germination is usually free and easy. The squeezed plant is used for washing clothes.Plants used directly as a soap substitute. NEXT PREVIOUS END

8. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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). NEXT PREVIOUS END

9. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO The pistil is made up of two fused carpelsand 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

10. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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 NEXT PREVIOUS END

11. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO 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. NEXT PREVIOUS END

12. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO Cardamine impatiens Cardamine impatiens belonging to Brassicaceae. It is a slender, biennial herb produces sterile leaves. NEXT PREVIOUS END

13. 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.

14. WEED FLORA AND WEED DISTRIBUTION IN POTATO The fruit is a peculiar kind of capsule named siliqua. Where a siliqua is less than three times as long as it is broad, it is usually termed a silicula The siliqua may break apart at constrictions occurring between the segments of the seeds. Most members share a suite of glucosinolate compounds that has a typical pungent odour usually associated with cole crops PREVIOUS