Effect of herbicides on growth, productivity and profitability of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Abstract

The present field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Farm of Raja Balwant Singh College, Bichpuri Agra, during Rabi season of 2023-24 to evaluate the “Effect of herbicides on growth, productivity and profitability of Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)”. The Variables involved in this study were ten weed control treatments viz., T0- Weedy check, T1-Weed free, T2- 2, 4-D-E 500 g a.i. ha-1, T3- 2, 4-D-E 500 g a.i. ha-1+ Carfentrazone 4 g a.i. ha-1, T4- 2, 4-D-Na 500 g a.i. ha-1, T5- 2, 4-D-Na 500 g a.i. ha-1+ Carfentrazone 4 ga.i. ha-1, T6- Carfentrazone 20 g a.i. ha-1, T7- Metsulfuron 20 g a.i. ha-1 + Carfentrazone 4 g a.i. ha-1 + Surfactant 25 g a.i. ha-1 + 0.2% S, T8- Metsulfuron methyl 20 WG 4 g a.i. ha-1 + Surfactant 4 g a.i. ha-1 + 0.2% S and T9- Halauxifen-methyl 1.21% EC 6.1 g a.i. ha-1 + Fluroxypyr 38.9% EC 194.5 g a.i. ha-1. Thus, in all 10 treatment combinations were compared in a “Randomized block design” with three replications. The soil of experimental field was sandy loam in texture with a pH 8.42. The soil was low in available nitrogen (181.45 Kg ha-1), medium in available phosphorus (28.34 kg P205 ha-1) and potash (283.76 kg K2O ha-1). Progressive data on growth and development characters of barley in terms of germination count at 15 days after sowing and number of shoots metre-1 row length, plant height (cm) and dry matter accumulation in plants of 25 cm row length (g); yield attributes viz., effective tillers m-2, length of spike (cm), spikelet’s spike- 1, no. of spike m-2, number of grains spike-1, weight of grains spike-1 and 1000-grain weight; per hectare studies viz., Biological, grain, straw yield (q ha-1) and harvest index (%); weed studies viz., weed density (total no. of broad leaf weeds + grassy weeds + sedges, m-2), dry weight of weeds (g m-2) and weed control efficiency (WCE%); qualitative studies viz., N, P K content (%) and uptake (kg ha-1); economics viz., Gross returns, net returns (₹ ha-1) and B: C ratio. Application of Halauxifen-methyl 1.21% EC 6.1 g a.i. ha-1 + Fluroxypyr 38.9% EC 194.5 g a.i. ha-1 (T9) was found higher productivity and quality of barley crop. It was also suitable for controlling broad leaved weeds in barley under agro-climatic conditions of Agra region. Application of 2, 4-D-E 500 g a.i. ha-1 + Carfentrazone 4 ga.i. ha-1 and application of Halauxifen-methyl 1.21% EC 6.1 g a.i. ha-1 + Fluroxypyr 38.9% EC 194.5 g a.i. ha-1 best for optimum doses of herbicides to achieved higher productivity of barley in Agra region. Maximum net returns (₹ 96515 and 98952 ha-1) and B: C ratio (3.32 and 3.41) were recoded with the application of 2, 4-D-E 500 g a.i. ha-1 + Carfentrazone 4 g a.i. ha-1 and Halauxifen-methyl 1.21% EC 6.1 g a.i. ha-1 + Fluroxypyr 38.9% EC 194.5 g a.i. ha-1, respectively.