Effect of post emergence application of herbicides, sole or in combination, on weed dynamics, growth and yield of pigeonpea under rainfed conditions

Abstract

Field experiments carried out at JNKVV, Jabalpur during kharif season of 2014-15 and 2015-16 to evaluate the bio-efficacy of propaquizafop + imazethapyr ready mixture against weeds and their influence on yield and economics of pigeonpea, in randomized block design with three replications, revealed that post emergence application of propaquizafop alone at lowest doses (50 and 62.5 g ha–1) led to no marked effect against most of the weeds, but its efficacy improved when applied in combination with imazethapyr, being higher under propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture applied at 62.5+ 75 g ha–1 or 100+100 g ha–1. Yield of pigeonpea was superior under propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture applied at 100 + 100 g ha–1 followed by 62.5 + 75 g ha–1 which were comparable to hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS. Highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) was found under propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture at 62.5+75 g ha–1 followed by propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture (100+100 g ha–1), imazethapyr (100 g ha–1), propaquizafop (125 g ha–1), propaquizafop (100 g ha–1), Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl (100 g ha–1) propaquizafop (62.5 g ha– 1) and propaquizafop (50 g ha–1). Weed control efficiency (WCE), Weed index (WI), Weed management index (WMI) and Harvest index (HI) were highest under propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture applied at 62.5+75 g ha–1 followed by propaquizafop + imazethapyr mixture applied at 100+100 g ha–1 and hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS.