Integrated weed management in pearl millet

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the rainy (Kharif) seasons of 2012 to 2014 in medium black soil at Bajra Research Scheme, Dhule, Maharashtra, to evaluate the effect of integrated weed management in rainfed pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) with pre-emergence application of atrazine 0.5 kg/ha + 1 HW at 35 DAS, four levels of post-emergence application of atrazine (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 kg/ha) along with one hand weeding at 35 DAS, two hand weeding and hoeing (at 20 and 40 DAS). The maximum grain yield was recorded with pre-emergence application of atrazine 0.5 kg/ha + 1 HW at 35 DAS, which was at par with two hand weeding and hoeing, and post-emergence application of atrazine 0.4 kg/ha + 1 HW at 35 DAS and increased the yield by 62.14% over weedy check. The higher grain yield may be owing to significantly lower weed dry weight, higher weed control efficiency which reflected in higher values of plant height, number of effective tillers/plant, earhead length and 1,000 grain weight. Maximum net returns (i 27,282/ha) and B:C ratio (2.73) were realized with pre-emergence application of atrazine 0.5 kg/ha + 1 HW at 35 DAS followed by post-emergence application of atrazine 0.4 kg/ha + 1 HW at 35 DAS which recorded net monetary returns of 125,404/ha and B:C ratio 2.62.