Phytotoxicity assessment of pre and post emergent herbicides in direct seeded finger millet (Eleusine coracana L.)

Abstract

Finger millet is an important nutri-cereal crop cultivated in many parts of the world and is a staple food crop in India, especially in Southern India. Although there is high demand for the crop because of its nutritional value, drought hardy nature, less input requirement, the low productivity is a major concern due to severe weed competition in direct seeded finger millet. Hence, the present investigation was formulated with the objective of screening pre and post emergent herbicides to know their phytotoxicity effect on direct seeded finger millet as a ray of hope for effective weed management. Two experiments were designed and conducted during kharif 2020 at College of Agriculture, VC Farm, Mandya. The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications consisting of 11 treatments each. The treatments consisted of five pre-emergence herbicides (Atrazine, oxadiargyl, bensulfuron methyl + pretilachlor, pendimethalin and pretilachlor) and five post-emergence herbicides (Cyhalofop-butyl, Bispyribac sodium, ethoxysulfuron, Metsulfuron methyl + Chlorimuron ethyl, and 2,4- D Na salt), along with one control at two doses each in the 1st and 2nd experiment, respectively. The observations on phytotoxicity ratings along with the effect of herbicides on growth attributes such as plant height and dry matter accumulation on direct seeded finger millet were noticed up to 45 days after sowing. The results of the experiments indicated that, among the pre- emergence herbicides tested, pendimethalin and bensulfuron methyl + pretilachlor when used at 500 g a.i. ha-1 and at 165 g a.i. ha-1, respectively did not show phytotoxic effect and among the post-emergence herbicides, Metsulfuron methyl + Chlorimuron ethyl 20 WP (2+2) and 2,4-D Na salt 80 WP when used at 20 g a.i. ha⁻¹ and at 1000 g a.i. ha⁻¹ have no phytotoxic effect implying the possibility of using these herbicides as an effective weed management option in direct seeded finger millet.