Integrated weed management in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp]

Abstract

India has a key place in global production and contributes about 25% to the total pulse basket. Pigeonpea is the second important pulse crop in India. In pigeonpea, weeds caused 21-97 % yield loss. High cost of wages and various limitations in cultural practices and mechanical practices necessitates to study integrated weed management approach in pigeonpea. Therefore, a field experiment on integrated weed management in pigeonpea was conducted at Agriculture Research Station, Badnapur Dist-Jalna (Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, Maharashtra) during 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 with an objective to find out the effective weed management practice in pigeonpea cultivation. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design comparing eight treatments viz., T1 - pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i/ha at 1-2 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS, T2 -imazethapyr @100 g a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS, T3 - quizalofop ethyl @ 100 g a.i./ ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS, T4 - pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i /ha at 1-2 DAS + imazethapyr @ 100 g a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS, T5 -pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i/ha at 1-2 DAS + imazethapyr @ 100 g i.e./ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS, T6 -pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i/ha at 1-2 DAS + quizalofop ethyl @ 100 g a.i/ha at 20- 25 DAS, T7 -pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i/ha at 1-2 DAS + quizalofop ethyl @ 100 g a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at on 50 DAS, T8 -weedy check (Unwedded control) and T9 -weed free plot (weeding at an interval of 20-25 DAS). Three years pooled data revealed that pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha–1 at 1-2 DAS + imazethapyr @ 100 g a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS was found effective weed management practice. The application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha-1 at 1-2 DAS + imazethapyr@ 100 g a.i./ha at 20-25 DAS + 1 hand weeding at 50 DAS was also economical.