Evaluation of effective weed management strategy for enhancing productivity and profitability of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under sub-tropical climate of western U.P.

Abstract

A field study was conducted during the Rabi season of 2018–19 at Sardar Patel University of Agriculture & Technology, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, to assess the performance of post-emergence application of Imazethapyr in combination with pre-emergence application of pendimethalin on chickpea (Cicerarietinum L.).The treatments comprised of Control (Weedy check) T1, Weed free T2, manual weeding 20 DAS T3, two manual weeding 20 and 40 DAS T4,Pendimethalin @1 kg a.i./ha PE T5,Pendimethalin @1 kg a.i./ha PE fb manual weeding 20 DAS T6,Imazethapyr @50 g a.i./ha Post emergence (20 DAS) T7,Imazethapyr @50 g a.i./ha 20 DAS fb manual weeding 40 DAS T8,Pendimethalin @1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha 20 DAS T9 and Pendimethalin 1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha 20 DAS fb manual weeding 40 DAS T10. The results revealed that the maximum weed control efficiency at 60 and 90 DAS and minimum total dry weight of weedsinPendimethalin@1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) fb manual weeding (40 DAS) T10 were found at par with Pendimethalin@1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) T9.Significantly highest pods plant-1,seeds pod-1andtest weight (g)were found with the application of Pendimethalin@1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) fb manual weeding (40 DAS)treatment. However, the highest grain yield (27.0 q ha-1) and straw yield(35.6 q ha-1) were obtained under weed free treatment T2 followed by (25.2 q ha-1)and (33.5 q ha-1) with the application of Pendimethalin @1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) fb manual weeding (40 DAS) T1.Similarly, higher net returns and benefit:cost ratio was recorded in Pendimethalin@1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@ 50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) fb manual weeding (40 DAS).Therefore,Pendimethalin@1 kg a.i./ha PE fbImazethapyr@50 g a.i./ha (20 DAS) found better for higher productivity and profitability of chickpea cropunder Sub-tropical climate of western Uttar Pradesh.