Weed dynamics and productivity of blackgram (Vigna mungoL.) as influenced by pre-and post-emergence herbicides

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during kharif seasons of 2012 and 2013 at the Research Farm of Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Chitrakoot, Satna (M. P.) to study the weed dynamics and productivity of blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper.] as influenced by pre-and post-emergence herbicides. Among weed control treatments, six treatments including pre-emergence herbicides (pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ha and oxyflourfen @ 0.2 kg/ha), post-emergence herbicide (imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha) and their combinations were tested. All the growth and productivity parameters were influenced significantly due to single and double herbicidal applications to control the existing weed flora. The dual herbicides comprising pendimethalin+imazethapyr (W5) brought about significantly higher seed yield (858 kg/ha), straw yield (1155 kg/ha) and harvest index (42.64%) of blackgram over remaining treatments. While both the dual herbicides (pendimethalin or oxyflourfen as pre-emergence followed by post-emergence application of imazethapyr) proved equally superior to other single herbicides in respect to weed control efficiency (89.57 to 91.62%)