Weed management strategies for better yield and economics of grain amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) in mountain agriculture

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to find out suitable weed management strategies for higher yield of grain amaranth under rainfed condition of Uttarakhand hills. Weed free treatment recorded significant improvement in plant height, yield attributes viz. number of fingers per inflorescence, inflorescence length and yield of grain amaranth (1117 kg/ha) followed by two hand weedings at 3 and 5 week after sowing (WAS). Among the herbicidal treatments, oxyfluorfen 50g/ha pre-emergent + one hand weeding (5 WAS) recorded higher seed yield (950 kg/ha) but the results were statistically indifferent from two hand weedings at 3 and 5 WAS. Weed control treatments had significant reduction in total weed dry weight and weed count over weedy check. Two hand weedings at 3 and 5 WAS had lowest weed count (30.67/m2) and weed dry matter (11.0 g/m2) followed by oxyfluorfen 50g/ha pre-emergent + one hand weeding (5 WAS). Weed control efficiency (86%) and B:C ratio (1.52) was also higher in two hand weeding at 3 and 5 WAS followed by oxyfluorfen 50g/ha pre-emergent + one hand weeding (5 WAS).