Effect of herbicides on weeds, yield and economics of chickpea

Abstract

A filed experiment was conducted at Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Chitrakoot, Satna, Madhya Pradesh during winter ( Rabi ) season of 2019-20 and 2020-21 to assess the efficacy of herbicides on production and profitability of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with ten treatments and three replications. The crop was sown as per the package of practices recommended for zone Kymore Plateau of Madhya Pradesh. The major monocot weed was Cynodon dactylon and dominant dicot weed was Chenopodium album at 30 days after sowing (DAS). At 30 DAS, significantly lower weed density (7.75/m 2 ) and biomass (2.70 g/m 2 ) were recorded with post-emergence application (PoE) of fomesafen (11.1% W/W) 220 g + fluazifop-p-butyl (11.1% W/W) 220 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS, followed by imazethapyr (35%) + imazamox (35%) 100 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS. The lowest weed index was noted with imazethapyr 55 g/ha PoE followed by pre-emergence application (PE) of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha and fomesafen 220 g + fluazifop-p-butyl 220 g/ha PoE at 30 DAS. Higher weed control efficiency (WCE) at 30 DAS was recorded with fomesafen 220 g + fluazifop-p-butyl 220 g/ha (70.6%) followed by hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS (57.1%). However, fomesafen 220 g + fluazifop-p-butyl 220 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS and imazethapyr + imazamox 100 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS caused severe injury to chickpea plants and even mortality of a few plants. Significantly higher 1000 seed weight (183.0 g) and grain yield (1.79 t/ha) were observed with imazethapyr 55 g/ha PoE which was statistically at par with weed free check. Significantly higher net returns ( 70746/ha) and B:C ratio (3.97) were recorded with imazethapyr 55 g/ha PoE ( 70746/ha), followed by pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha PE. The monetary efficiency ( 589.5/ha/day) of imazethapyr 55 g/ha PoE was statistically at par with weed free ( 541.3/ha/day) and was significantly higher than all other treatments.