Efficacy of pre and post-emergence herbicides on weed control in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The study was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Mandor, Jodhpur during 2016-17 (rabi). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with 16 treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments were two doses of each herbicides i.e. pendimethalin (0.40 and 0.60 kg a.i./ha), oxyfluorfen (100 and 200 g a.i./ha) and imazethapyr (40 and 60 g a.i./ha) with their combinations as pre and post-emergence including weedy check and weed free. Among the herbicidal treatments, sequential application of pre and post-emergence herbicides i.e. pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i./ha (PE) + imazethapyr @ 60 g a.i./ha at 20 DAS (W12) recorded significantly higher seed yield with higher weed control efficiency and weed index and established its superiority over other weed management treatments. However, it remained at par with pre and post-emergence herbicides i.e. pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i./ha (PE) + imazethapyr @ 40 g a.i./ha at 20 DAS (W11) at all growth stages of crop. Although, weed free recorded higher seed yield and showed significant superiority over rest of the weed management treatments, but it was statistically at par with W12 and W11.