Efficacy of various herbicides for weed control in wheat (Triticum aestivum) intercropped with autumn sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) under sub mountaineous conditions of Punjab

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2011–12 and 2012–13 at Gurdaspur, Punjab, to assess the efficacy of various herbicides for weed control in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) intercropped in autumn planted sugarcane. The experiment comprising 8 treatments was laid out in a randomized block design with 3 replications. Among herbicidal treatments, sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron 75 WG @ 0.03 kg/ha was found to be significantly superior to the application of clodinafop 15 WP @ 0.06 kg/ha, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 10 EC @ 0.1 kg/ha, isoproturon 75 WP @ 0.94 kg/ha and metribuzin 70 WP @ 0.26 kg/ha in reducing the biomass of weeds, but at par with sulfosulfuron 75 WG @ 0.02 kg/ha. Sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron 75 WG @ 0.03 kg/ha resulted in 20.5, 17.5, 42.4 and 23.7% increase in wheat grain yield; 5.3, 4.7, 6.6 and 4.9% increase in cane yield; and 8.5, 7.0, 12.8 and 8.7% increase in cane-equivalent yield over clodinafop 15 WP @ 0.06 kg/ha, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 10 EC @ 0.1 kg/ ha, isoproturon 75 WP @ 0.94 kg/ha and metribuzin 70 WP @ 0.26 kg/ha respectively. Significantly higher effective tillers/m2 and number of grains/ear were recorded with sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron 75 WG @ 0.03 kg/ha over the application of clodinafop 15 WP @ 0.06 kg/ha, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 10 EC @ 0.1 kg/ha, isoproturon 75 WP @ 0.94 kg/ ha and metribuzin 70 WP @ 0.26 kg/ha. The highest weed-control efficiency (87.8%) and benefit: cost ratio (1.59) were found under sulfosulfuron + metsulfuron 75 WG @ 0.03 kg/ha-treated plots, closely followed by sulfosulfuron 75 WG @ 0.02 kg/ha and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron 3.6 WDG @ 0.01 g/ha.