Effect of overall and row application of herbicides on growth, yield and economics of potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2014-15 at farmer’s field of village Ballavpur, Birbhum, West Bengal with potato variety ‘Kufri jyoti’ to study the effect of overall and row application of different herbicides on growth, yield and economics of potato. The experiment was comprised of ten treatments and was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. Higher values of growth and yield attributes and yield of potato, net return as well as return per rupee invested were registered with application of metribuzin at 200 g ha-1 as pre-emergence in row only. However, it was at par with metribuzin at 400 g ha-1 as pre-emergence with overall application as well as two earthing up at 25 and 50 DAP. Weed infestation caused about 41.2% tuber yield reduction in potato. Thus it appeared that pre-emergence application of metribuzin at 200 g ha-1 in rows only showed promising results in managing complex weed flora registering the highest gross return, net return and return per rupee invested in potato cultivation.