Effect of weed control methods on growth and yield of groundnut

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2011 to study the effect of weed control methods on growth and yield of groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) at Agronomy Section, SHIATS, Allahabad (U. P.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD). Ten treatment combinations were tested in three replications. The experiment comprised as T 1 control, T 2 -weed free, T 3 -one hoeing at 21 DAS, T 4 -two hoeing at 21 and 45 DAS, T 5 -oxyfluorfen 23.5 EC @ 0.2kg ha ?1 at 2 DAS, T 6 -oxyfluorfen 23.5 EC @ 0.2 kg ha ?1 at 2 DAS + one hoeing at 45 DAS, T 7 -pendimethalin 30 EC @ 1 kg ha ?1 at 2 DAS, T 8 -pendimethalin 30 EC 0@ 1 kg ha ?1 at 2 DAS + one hoeing at 45 DAS, T 9 -imazethapyr 10 per cent SL @ 100 g ha ?1 at 14 DAS and T 10 imazethapyr 10 per cent SL @ 100 g ha ?1 at 14 DAS + one hoeing at 45 DAS. It is evident from the results that, the treatment T 8 -pendimethalin @ 1 kg ha ?1 at 2 DAS + 1 hoeing at 45DAS was proved to be significantly superior than other treatments and control in respect of plant height, plant dry weight accumulation, number of branches per plant ?1 , number of pods per plant, pod yield (t ha ?1 ), number of kernels per pod, kernel yield (t ha ?1 ), weed index, weed control efficiency as well as lowest weed population (No./0.25m 2 ) and weed dry weight (g/0.25m 2 ). Although the values obtained in the treatment T 4 -two control hoeing at 21 and 45 DAS, T 6 -oxyfluorfen 23.5 EC at 2 DAS + 1 hoeing at 45 DAS and T 10 -imazethapyr 10 per cent SL @ 100 g ha ?1 at 14 DAS + 45 DAS were found to bestatistically at par to that obtained in the treatment T 8 and the values were found to be significantly higher than all other weed management treatments.