Efficacy of herbicide management practices on weed control, growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under rainfed condition of North East India

Abstract

Chickpea productivity in North-East India is constrained by severe early-season weed competition, which causes substantial yield losses due to high soil moisture and diverse weed flora. A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2023-24 at the Research Farm, Andro, CAU Imphal to evaluate the efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicides and their sequential applications for sustainable weed management in chickpea. The trial was laid out in a randomized block design with twelve treatments, including oxyfluorfen, quizalofop-p-ethyl, propaquizafop, topramezone, their sequential combinations, and weedy and weed-free checks. Results revealed significant differences in growth, yield, weed biomass, weed control efficiency (WCE), and economics. Sequential application of oxyfluorfen 150 g a.i. ha⁻¹ followed by topramezone 20.6 g a.i. ha⁻¹ at 14-21 DAS recorded the lowest weed dry matter (11.97 g m⁻²), highest WCE (92.62%), and maximum seed yield (1786 kg ha⁻¹), comparable to the weed-free check. This treatment also achieved the highest net return (₹91,535 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.78). Effective weed suppression under this combination ensured improved crop growth, greater pod formation, and enhanced productivity. The study concludes that integrated pre- and post-emergence herbicide application, particularly oxyfluorfen followed by topramezone, is the most effective and economically viable weed management strategy for chickpea cultivation in North-East India.