Enhancing Profitability and Yield Potential of Weed Controlling in Green Gram (Vigna radiata L.) under Central Plains of Punjab

Green gram (Vigna radiata L.) is one of greatest significant and widely grown pulse crop in India. It contains about 25 % protein, 62.6 % carbohydrate, 1.1 % fat, total dietary fiber 16.3 % and quite a lot of essential amino acid as well as lysine, which is commonly lacking in cereals and provided that protein rich regime to vegaetarians population of the nation (IIPR, 2019).
       
Weed growth not only reduces grain output, but it also has an adverse effect on seed quality. Weed invasion and its strength at initial phase is a identical significant biotic constraint in irrigated green gram and has remained create toward lessen 50-80 % yield in green gram [Das et al., (2012),  Nandan et al., (2011), Nagender et al., (2016),  Singh et al., (2019),  Osari et al., (2019); Verma et al., (2020)]. Pendimethalin efficiently control the monocot and dicot weeds during early phase of crop rising at 3 to 4 leaf stage and increases productivity of green gram Singh et al., (2019). Imazethapyr has also been noted to offer active weed switch in green gram after emergence [Singh et al., (2014); Singh et al., (2017)]. Imazethapyr, a wide-ranging herbicide, it is stays in soil for long time and less toxic effect on soil health Tamang et al., (2015). For active managing of difficult weed flora, there is necessity to usage combination of different new weedicides Devi et al., (2017b). It would have broad range of weed controllers causing no harm to plant, have little lasting effect on the crop and boost agricultural yield and profitability in green gram crop Devi et al., (2017a). The research work was carried out with following objectives: i) To study the effect of herbicides use on weed density in green gram field. ii) To study the effect of herbicides use on growth and yield of green gram and iii) To study the effect of herbicides use on benefit cost ratio in green gram crop.

In the years 2021 and 2022 in kharif, the experiment was carried out. Two year of a field trial has been completed at the research farm, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, (Punjab). The investigation was conducted in sandy loam soil with low levels of organic matter and pH (6.5-7.5).  Data of the maximum and minimum temperature of the experimental field is shown in (Fig 1) on a month wise (Source: Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, Punjab, India). For kharif green gram, the evaluation of five herbicides (Imazethapyr as (PE and PoE), Pendimethalin as (PE) and following herbicides are use at (PoE) Quizalofop-p-ethyl, Imazethapyr + Imazamax and Sodium Acifulourfen and Clodinafop-propargyl) was study with comparing weedy check. The study considered eight treatment such as T₁: Imazethapyr (60 g ha^-1 ) as PE, T₂: Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) as PE, T₃: Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) as PE +  Imazethapyr  (50 g ha^-1) as PoE, T₄: Hand weeding twice 20 then 40 DAS, T₅: Quizalofop-p-ethyl (75 g ha^-1) as PoE, T₆: Imazethapyr  + Imazamax (75 g ha^-1) as PoE, T₇: Sodium Acifulourfen and Clodinafop-propargyl (180 g ha^-1) as PoE, T₈: Unweeded check (Control). The green gram test was led in a RBD. The net pot extent of wheat trial was 8 meter length and 7 meter width with variety ML 818.


               
Five tagged randomly chosen characteristic plants from each plot individually were counted in terms of plant population, plant height and no of branches per plant and yield and yield-attributing characteristics were recorded in accordance with standard techniques. The net plot area of each plot was used to record the seed and straw yield. According to seed yield calculating by weed index. The information is gathered by the plant using various features and this data is then computed using a statistical approach in Gomez and Gomez, (1984). The unwanted plant (weed fora) count remained recorded in species wise and total under each plot as well as measuring species wise and total weed dry biomass. On the basis of weed dry biomass calculating species wise and total weed control efficiency.

Influence of herbicides on weeds in kharif green gram
 
Both monocot and dicot weeds were found, although both weeds predominated more over the entire field. Among mentioned five weed species in the kharif of 2021 and 2022; for there were two grasses Commelina benghalensis L., Digitaria sanguinalis L., sedges Cyperus rotundus L. and two broadleaf weeds such as Cassia tora L., Celosia argentea L.  Similar weed flora were also observed in [Singh et al.,(2019); Sasode et al., (2020)].
       
Results from weed-free treatments reveal lower weed species diversity, total weed population and dry biomass. Herbicidal usages had a considerable impact in weed count and weed dry biomass. The population and biomass of together narrow and broad leaf weeds were suggestively lowest by all weed controller treatments likened to control, though, weed free (two hand weeding) noted minimum count of dicot, monocot and total weeds than the remaining of the managements. The lowermost weed count as well as weed dry biomass remained seen for use of pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) as PE with after that Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) as PoE by 60 days after sowing (Table 1 and 2). Higher weed population were count under weedy check as liken to herbicidal treatment. Similar outcome were detected in Yadav et al., (2019).




       
The full extent of the dry biomass decrease caused by various weed treatments is revealed by weed removal effectiveness (Fig 2). At 60 days following seeding, the weed removal effectiveness of various weed management techniques varied (Table 3). In the weed removal effectiveness, the total weed dry biomass, which consist of different weed species with different proportions, was taken into account. With the combination application of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) fb Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) after that hand weeding twice, greatest weed control effectiveness (86.94%) and weeding index (0.00) of grasses, sedges and broadleaf weeds were reported at 60 DAS. Lowermost weed control effectiveness and higher weed index logged in weed control in both years. This outcome was quite alike to that of Singh et al., (2019).




 
Effect of herbicides on kharif green gram
 
According to the results gathered (Table 4), PE application of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) as PE after that Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) as PoE fb Imazethapyr (60 g ha^-1) PE significantly increased plant population after 60 days after planting compared to control.


       
The absence of weeds resulted in a considerable drop in plant height, which may have been caused by rivalry between the crop and the weed for resources including soil moisture, nutrients, sunshine and space during the crop’s active development period. Green gram growth characters remained expressively pretentious through in control (Weedy check). However, combination of pre and post-emergence application of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazetapyr (50 g ha^-1) produced significantly taller plants (32.62 cm). Plant height of green gram under different herbicide combinations was comparable. This result revealed that Patel et al., (2020).
       
Higher number of branches per plant was produced by using Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) before and after emergence application of herbicide in association with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1). Altered weed control method significantly affected no. of branches per plant as liken to weedy check. The similar result were observed in Patel et al., (2020).
 
Efficacy of herbicides on kharif green gram production, yield characteristics and profitability
 
Through admiration to yield characteristics, expressively greater no. of pods plant^-1, grains pod^-1 besides test weight were recorded when Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazetapyr (50 g ha^-1) was use (Table 5). Pre application of Imazetapyr (60 g ha^-1), Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) and hands weeding double at 20 days interval produced comparable results in expressions of number of pods plant^-1 and seeds pod^-1. More yield-attributing characteristics would emerge as a cause of improved weed management now these treatments, according to Muthuram et al.,(2018). The lowest number of pods plant^-1 remained noted during the control. Better weed control in these treatments would favour increased resource-relatedness, leading to added yield-attaching traits Kaur et al., (2016); Muthura et al., (2018). The lowest number of pods plant^-1 was noted during the control.


       
The use of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) caused in a considerable improvement in the grain production and straw yield of green gram in the absence of crop weed competition observed significantly greater average grain yield as well as straw yield compared to control treatments (Table 5). The lower seed as well as straw yield observed in weedy check as compare to remaining the treatment. Like outcomes remained also reported by Patel et al., (2020). Amongst the weedicide treatment, the maximum net profits were recorded with Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) (Table 5) fb Imazethapyr (60 g ha^-1) and the minimum Quizalofop-p-ethyl (75 g ha^-1). Highest benefit: cost ratio were achieved with Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) and the lowermost Quizalofop-p-ethyl (75 g ha^-1) as compare to control. The maximum net profit for the pre-emergent use of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) combined with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) it is similar to Sasode et al., (2020).
 

It can be concluded that in kharif green gram were controlled of both types of weed population (grasses: Commelina benghalensis L., Digitaria sanguinalis L., sedges: Cyperus rotundus L. and two broadleaf weeds such as Cassia tora L., Celosia argentea L.) by consecutive use of Pendimethalin (1000 g ha^-1) as pre-emergent combined with Imazethapyr (50 g ha^-1) as post-emergence as they provide better total weed control effectiveness (87.51%), minimum weed index (0.00%) with greater grain yield (7.25 q ha^-1), supreme net profits (₹36, 738 ha^-1) and higher benefit cost ratio (1:96).The use of premix herbicides can be beneficial for operational and environmentally friendly weed control in green gram.

Lovely Professional University (LPU), Jalandhar, Punjab, provided funding for this research (India). The Department of Agronomy at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, Punjab (India), has provided the authors with the use of its research facilities, for which they are grateful.

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