Weed management in finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.) under system of crop intensification

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to find out the bio-efficacy of botanical & chemical herbicides in finger millet (Elusine coracona L) under SCI,at INS Farm-II of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (Institute of Agricultural Sciences), SOADU, BBSR with 8 different weed management treatment viz. W1=Weedy check, W2=Hand weeding at 18 & 35 DAT, W3=Mechanical weeding at 18 & 35 DAT, W4=Pendimethalin @750 g a.i. ha-1 at 2 DAT+ MW at 35 DAT, W5=Oxyflurofen 23.5 EC @ 80 ga.i.ha-1DAT+MW at 35 DAT, W6=Calotropis gigantea extract @ 5% at 2 DAT + MW at 35 DAT, W7=Parthenium hysterophorous extract @ 5% at 2 DAT + MW at 35 DAT and W8=Parthenium hysterophorous + Calotropis gigantea each @ 5% at 2 DAT +MW at 35 DAT. The experiment was laid out in RBD, replicated thrice during kharif, 2018.Weed density, biomass showed a significant difference among different weed management treatments at both 20 and 40 DAT. Under the treatment two Hand weeding (W2), the weed density was found least. The highest weed density was recorded with weedy check (W1). Similar trends observed in weed biomass. The plant character varied significantly among different weed management practices. The highest plant height, no of tillers m-2, LAI and dry matter production was recorded highest in Hand weeding at 18 & 35 DAT, and the lowest were found under weedy check. Similar trends observed on Yield attributes and grain & straw yield varied significantly. Yield attributes like no of ear/plant, no of finger /ear and grains /finger shows highest values under Under the treatment two HW (W2) and least under weedy plot. The maximum (28.56 q/ha) grain yield was recorded with Hand weeding at 18 & 35 DAT (28.56q/ha).