Bio‐efficacy of different post‐emergence herbicides in mungbean

Abstract

AbstractWeeds result in a significant yield loss in mungbean (Vigna radiata[L.] R. Wilczek). However, post‐emergence (POST) herbicides are limited in mungbean for broad‐spectrum weed control. Therefore, we evaluated the efficacies of different herbicides in mungbean to find a suitable broad‐spectrum POST herbicide. Nine herbicides, weed‐free check, and unweeded control treatments were tested in a randomised block design with three replications for two consecutive years. Among the tested herbicides, clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium‐acifluorfen 122.5 g a.i. ha−1applied at 15 days after sowing (DAS) reduced the broad‐leaved weed dry weight at 35 DAS and harvest by 55.8% and by 58.6% (p < 0.05) compared with the unweeded control respectively. Notably, it minimised the total weed dry weight by 23.1%–30.3% compared with the recommended herbicide pendimethalin 1 kg a.i. ha−1– quizalopfop‐p‐ethyl 100 g a.i. ha−1(p ≤ 0.05). Clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium‐acifluorfen had higher weed control index (58.2% at 35 DAS and 62.1% at harvest) over the remaining tested herbicides. Unweeded controls resulted in 51% yield loss compared with the clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium‐acifluorfen that did not differ from pendimethalin − quizalofop‐p‐ethyl for seed yield of mungbean. Decreasing order of treatment efficacy on mean grain yield across two years comprised the weed‐free check, clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium‐acifluorfen and pendimethalin − quiza‐lofop‐p‐ethyl, imazethapyr + imazamox, tembotrione, and topramezone. [Correction added on 10 November 2022, after first online publication: In the preceding sentence, changes have been made to the article content to improve clarity in this version.] Application of clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium‐acifluorfen led to the greatest increase in soil microbial biomass carbon, indicating higher levels of soil biological and rhizospheric activity. We suggest that clodinafop‐propargyl + sodium acifluorfen is a suitable broad‐spectrum option for weed management of mungbean.