Efficiency of post-emergence herbicides on growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Bikaner, Rajasthan, during the winter(rabi) seasons of 2013–14 and 2014–15, to test the efficiency of post-emergence herbicides on the growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The experiment comprising 10 weed-control treatments, i.e. weedy check, 2 hand-weeding at 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS), imazethapyr 20 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), imazethapyr 30 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), imazethapyr 40 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), imazethapyr 50 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), imazethapyr 60 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), oxyfluorfen 50 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), oxyfluorfen 75 g (at 3–4-leaf stage), and pendimethalin 0.75 kg (pre-emergence, PE), in random-ized block design with 3 replications. The minimum weed count, as well as weed dry weight were recorded with imazethapyr 60 g/ha but it has much detrimental effect on chickpea. The maximum grain yield (1.60 t/ha) was recorded with 2 hand-weedings–20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS) followed by pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha (1.41 t/ ha). Imazethapyr at all levels and oxyfluorfen at 50 g/ha and above had toxic effect on chickpea. The crop treated with imazethapyr 20 g/ha got recovered at later stage but at higher levels could not get full recovery. The maximum net returns of ₹ 58,582/ha and benefit: cost (B: C) ratio (3.51) was recorded under 2 hand-weeding treatment. Among the different herbicides, application of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha (PPE) resulted in significantly higher net returns of ₹ 49,592/ha and B: C ratio (3.14).