<div>Background: Weeds are the most critical pest, which cause the highest yield reduction in food grain crops. Weeds interfere with maize growth by competing one or more growth limiting factors, controlling of weeds in maize during the critical period assumes great importance for realizing higher yield. Unavailability of relatively cheap labour in time necessitated the use of herbicides in maize. Residual impact of herbicides caused significant influence on germination and growth of succeeding crop. 
 
Methods: The field experiment was carried out during kharif 2019 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, Madurai to evaluate the residual effect of herbicides used in preceding maize on succeeding blackgram. Treatments were application of pre emergence herbicide atrazine at 0.25 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1 kg ha-1 applied singly on 3 days after sowing and in combination with post emergence herbicide tembotrione 120 g ha-1 or halosulfuron methyl 90 g ha-1 on 25 DAS, weed free check, unweeded check in maize crop. 
 
Result: Among the weed control treatments, pre emergence herbicides atrazine 0.25 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin 1 kg ha-1 singly and in combination with post emergence herbicides tembotrione 120 g ha-1 or halosulfuron methyl 90 g ha-1 applied in maize crop did not caused any phyotoxicity and residual impact on succeeding blackgram. However, the highest plant height (29.5 cm), dry matter production (1.17 g plant-1) and seedling vigour index (1473) of succeeding blackgram was recorded in atrazine at 0.25 kg ha-1 as pre emergence at 3 DAS followed by tembotrione at 120 g ha-1 as post emergence at 25 DAS.</div>

​​Preceding Maize Crop Herbicide Residual Effect on Germination, Growth and Vigour of Succeeding Blackgram

<div style="text-align:justify">Field experiments were carried out during summer seasons of 2017 and 2018 to study the effect of preceding (Rice-Okra) crops herbicide residue on weed, growth, yield and economics of succeeding blackgram. Residual effect of butachlor at 1.25 kg/ha on 3 days after transplanting (DAT) fb hand weeding (HW) on 40 DAT imposed in the first season rice crop and followed by hand weeding (HW) twice at 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS) (T6) in okra and blackgram significantly influenced the reduction of weed dry weight accumulation by 8.75 and 7.44 times in mainland and island ecosystem, respectively at 20 DAS. The same treatment recorded the highest weed control efficiency (WCE) of 88.6, 86.5 and 86.2, 80.7 % observed at 20 and 40 DAS under mainland and island ecosystem, respectively. Among, the weed control treatments, residual effect of butachlor at 1.25 kg/ha on 3 DAT fb HW on 40 DAT to rice and HW twice at 20 and 40 DAS (T6) to okra and blackgram has recorded 64.8 and 65.0% higher seed yield of blackgram under main and island ecosystem, respectively.</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Preceding (Rice-Okra) Crops Herbicide Residual Effects on Weed, Growth, Yield and Economics of Succeeding Blackgram Under Different Ecosystem</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">
<div style="text-align:left">Background: The major area under black gram are cultivated as rice fallow crop to harness the available soil moisture and other resources without application of any inputs as that of other input intensive crops. Weeds are one of the important biotic factors which affect the growth and yield of black gram. The weeds can be effectively managed in black gram by the herbicide applied in the previous crop viz., transplanted rice. Since, the black gram has quick ground cover, hence initial weed management is very much important. In order to manage the weeds in rice fallow black gram crop evaluation of Triafamone herbicide applied to the transplanted rice crop was carried out in succeeding black gram crop in terms of the growth and yield of black gram.&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align:left"> 
Methods: Field experiments were conducted during Kharif, 2019 (July to August) and Rabi 2019-20 (November to January) at Wetland farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to study the residual effect of herbicides applied in transplanted rice on succeeding black gram growth and productivity. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of four doses (30, 40, 50 and 100 g/ha) of new rice herbicide Triafamone 20% SC each as pre emergence and early post emergence, along with check herbicides Pretilachlor 50% EC 750 ml/ha and Pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP 15 ml/ha as early post-emergence along with farmers practice (two hand weedings), weed free and weedy checks.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align:left"> 
Result: The weed flora of the experimental field consisted of weed complex including grasses, sedges and broad leaved weeds. Among the different dose of herbicides applied, Triafamone 20% SC at 100 g/ha markedly suppressed the weeds growth. There were no phytotoxic effects of herbicides on succeeding black gram. Different doses and time herbicides applied in transplanted rice did not affect the germination of succeeding black gram. Higher weed control efficiency, growth and yield component and yield of black gram were recorded with the Triafamone at 40 g/ha as pre emergence and early post emergence application.</div>
</div>

Growth and Productivity of Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.) as Influenced by Residual Effect of Triafamone Herbicide Applied for Transplanted Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

<div>Background: Time of pre-emergence herbicide application is an important factor that decides the efficiency of herbicide. If the pre-emergence herbicide is not applied at appropriate time, it may cause ineffective weed control or toxicity to crops. With this background, a field experiment was conducted at TNAU, Madurai to optimize the time of pre-emergence herbicides namely pendimethalin and oxyfluorfen application for effective weed management in irrigated blackgram.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replication. Treatments were application of pendimethalin at 0.75 kg ha-1 and oxyfluorfen at 0.2 kg ha-1 on 1, 2, 3, 4 days after sowing, weed free check and unweeded check.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Results of the study revealed that oxyfluorfen gave maximum weed control efficiency as compared to pendimethalin, but toxicity to the crop was observed when oxyfluorfen was sprayed after 2 days of sowing. Yield and economics were achieved higher with application of 0.75 kg ha-1 of pendimethalin at 2 DAS, which was on par with application of 0.2 kg ha-1 of oxyfluorfen at 1 DAS due to lesser toxicity. Application of 0.75 kg ha-1 of pendimethalin and 0.2 kg ha-1 of oxyfluorfen didn&rsquo;t leave any herbicide residue after harvest. Hence, application of 0.75 kg ha-1 of pendimethalin at 2 DAS and 0.2 kg ha-1 of oxyfluorfen at 1 DAS can be recommended for effective weed management in irrigated balckgram.</div>

<div>Optimizing the Application Time of Pre-emergence Herbicide Pendimethalin and Oxyfluorfen Application for Effective Weed Management in Irrigated Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) and Its Residue Persistence</div>

<div>Background: Weeds are one of the major constraints in achieving yield potential of black gram. Due to slow initial growth of black gram, weeds compete effectively and caused reduction in growth as well as yield of black gram. Hand weeding is neither practicable nor economical due to unpredictability of weather and high labour cost, respectively. Therefore, application of herbicides is considered as the best approach for efficient weed control in black gram. &nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted at Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, CCSHAU, Hisar during summer and kharif 2017 to evaluate the effect of different weed control treatments in black gram and their residual effect on succeeding pearl millet and sorghum crops. Total of fourteen weed control treatments were replicated thrice in randomized complete block design (RCBD).</div>

<div> 
Result: Dactyloctenium aegyptium (37%), Trianthema portulacastrum (34%), Cyperus rotundus (21%) and Digera arvensis (8%) were the major weed flora associated with black gram at 30 DAS. Both at 30 and 60 DAS, PE application of imazethapyr + pendimethalin (RM) at 1000 g ha-1 provided 100% control of D. aegyptium and T. portulacastrum. PE application of imazethapyr + pendimethalin (RM) at 1000 g ha-1 was the most significant herbicide treatment (90% control of weeds) at 30 DAS however, 3-4 leaf stage application of imazethapyr + imazamox at 70 g/ha recorded with highest control of weeds (89%) at 60 DAS. Maximum seed yield (912 kg ha-1) and yield attributes of black gram were obtained in weed free treatment which was statistically at par with two hoeing performed at 20 and 40 DAS (895 kg ha-1) and PE application of imazethapyr + pendimethalin (RM) at 1000 g ha-1 (878 kg ha-1). Imazethapyr and its RM combination with imazamox applied at 3-4 leaf stage had phytotoxic effects on black gram at 30 DAS which suppressed the growth and caused yield penalty. Residual effect or phytotoxicity was not observed on succeeding pearl millet and sorghum crops.</div>

<div>Bioefficacy of Imazethapyr Applied Alone and in Combination with other Herbicides in Black Gram and their Residual Effect on Succeeding Pearl-millet and Sorghum Crops</div>

A field investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of herbicides and their mixtures on weeds in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cv. PBW-343. Minimum weed density per m2 &nbsp;and weed dry weight &nbsp;(5.13 and 17.31g) was recorded with sulfosulfuron at 25g ha-1 followed by &nbsp;clodinofop at 60g + metsulfuron methyl at 4g ha-1 &nbsp;(5.19 and 18.45g), metribuzin at 200g ha-1 (5.85 &nbsp;and 25.98g), pendimethalin at 1000g fb 2,4-D at 400g ha-1 (6.49 &nbsp;and 31.73g) and hand weeding twice (7.01 &nbsp;and 35g), respectively. Also, maximum weed control efficiency was recorded under sulfosulfuron at 25g ha-1 (83.85%) followed by clodinofop at 60g + metsulfuron methyl at 4g ha-1 (83.17%) and metribuzin at 200g ha-1 (75.85%), respectively. &nbsp;All the weed control treatments recorded significantly higher harvest index than the weedy check (40.24). Among various herbicidal treatments, application of clodinofop at 60g + metsulfuron methyl at 4g ha-1 recorded highest harvest index (41.91) followed by sulfosulfuron at 25 g ha-1 (41.83) and pendimethalin at 1000g fb 2,4-D at 400g ha-1 (41.25) respectively. The harvest index recorded under clodinofop at 60g + metsulfuron methyl at 4g ha-1 and sulfosulfuron at 25 g ha-1 was significantly at par with weed free (42.06).

Effect of herbicides and herbicide mixtures on weeds in wheat

Background: One of the main reasons for India&rsquo;s decreased food production is the depletion of soil fertility. The primary causes of soil deterioration are lack of awareness among farmers and lack of land use regulations. By limiting the erosion and enhancing the nutrients available to the crops, conservation agriculture increases the organic matter content of the soil and contributes to the improvement of field conditions. But compared to conventional agriculture, the practise of conservation agriculture is less advanced. And also there is a dearth of research on the use of crop residues for the management of soil fertility. So this study was undertaken in order to examine the impacts of crop residue, inorganic fertilizers and cropping system as a component of an integrated crop residues and fertility management system on nutrient uptake and net returns of greengram. 
 
Methods: The experiment consists of strip plot design and was carried out during 2020-21 and 2021-22 under zero till conditions at college farm, Rajendranagar, PJTSAU to study the effect of previous crop residues and fertility levels on succeeding greengram.&nbsp; 
 
Result: According to the data, greengram absorbed more nutrients at various growing stages. The residual effect of incorporation of residues treated with microbial consortia composed of Trichoderma viridae, Aspergillus awamori and Phanerocheate spp. along with 300:100:100 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O (125% RDF) and phosphorous supplied in the form of single super phosphate (SSP) resulted in significantly higher financial returns. In greengram, residue incorporated plots outperformed residue burning, removal and retention plots with 125% RDF in terms of nutrient uptake, as well as monetary returns like gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio. In a similar vein, yield in residue-incorporated plots was higher than it was in residue-removal and in-situ burning plots during summer, 2021 and 2022.

Nutrient Uptake and Economics of Summer Greengram as Influenced by Residual Effect of Paddy Residues and Fertility Levels

Background: Farmers&rsquo; conventional tillage and residue removal practices in rice-maize-greengram systems in India are input-intensive, costly and soil degradative. A number of soil quality issues have emerged due to continuous cropping and burning of residues threatening the sustainability of rice based cropping systems for the last more than four decades. Nevertheless, the in-situ or in-field decomposition of crop residue using microbial inoculum is rarely studied. This necessitated the use of microbial consortia developed by a combination of potent strains of fungi which can perform harmoniously for rapid decomposition of crop residues. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during 2020-21 and 2021-22 with eight residue-management treatments and three fertility levels to zero till maize at college farm, Rajendranagar, PJTSAU using strip plot design and the residual effect on the succeeding greengram was studied. 
 
Result: Greengram growth and yield were significantly higher under residual effect of incorporation of residues treated with microbial consortia consisting of Trichoderma viridae, Aspergillus awamori and Phanerocheate spp. along with 300:100:100 kg ha-1 of N, P2O5 and K2O (125% RDF) and P supplied in the form of single super phosphate (SSP) under zero tillage during summer, 2021 and 2022. Growth parameters like plant height, leaf area index, dry matter production and yield attributes like number of pods plant-1, pod length and number of seeds pod-1 in greengram were higher under residue incorporated plots compared to residue burning, removal and retention plots with 125% RDF.

Residual Effects of Microbial Treated Paddy Residues Applied to Zero Till Maize on Growth and Yield of Summer Greengram

Background: To work out the residual effect of rice residue, FYM and fertilizers on summer moong (Vigna radiate L.) in Rice-potato-summer moong cropping system. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: The present study was carried out at research farm, department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with two factors. Factor A contains&nbsp; five nutrient management treatments in potato (Rice residue+ 125 % NPK + 25 t ha-1&nbsp;FYM, Rice residue+ 100%&nbsp; NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM, Rice residue+ 75 % NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM, Rice residue + 125% NPK + 0 tha-1&nbsp;FYM and Without rice residue + 100% NPK+ 50 tha-1&nbsp;FYM) and factor B contains three&nbsp; nitrogen levels in&nbsp; summer moong&nbsp; (0 kg ha-1&nbsp;N, 6.25 kg ha-1&nbsp;N and 12.5 kg ha-1&nbsp;N ). 
&nbsp; 
Result: The plant height, branches, dry matter accumulation, LAI and chlorophyll content index were significantly affected with the treatments applied to preceding potato crop. The application of rice residue+ 125% NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM to potato crop resulted significantly higher plant height, branches, dry matter accumulation, LAI and chlorophyll content index of moong crop as compared to rice residue+ 75% NPK + 25 t ha-1&nbsp;FYM and rice residue+ 125% NPK + 0 tha-1&nbsp;FYM while at par to rice residue+ 100% NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM and without rice residue + 100 % NPK+ 50 tha-1&nbsp;FYM. The significantly higher biometric parameters were observed with 12.5 kg ha-1&nbsp;N which was significantly higher than the 0 and 6.25 5 kg ha-1 N. The application of rice residue+ 125% NPK + 25 t ha-1&nbsp;FYM to potato crop resulted significantly higher yield and yield attributing characters as compared to rice residue+ 75% NPK + 25 t ha-1&nbsp;FYM and rice residue+ 125% NPK + 0 tha-1&nbsp;FYM while at par to rice residue+ 100% NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM and without rice residue + 100% NPK 50 tha-1&nbsp;FYM. The application of higher dose of nitrogen @ 12 kg ha-1&nbsp;also significantly increased the yield and yield attributing characters as compared to lower doses of summer moong. The nutrients uptake ( N,P and K) was also maximum with rice residue+ 125% NPK + 25 t ha-1&nbsp;FYM which was at par to rice residue+ 100% NPK + 25 tha-1&nbsp;FYM and without rice residue + 100% NPK+ 50 tha-1&nbsp;FYM while significantly higher than other treatment. The application of higher dose of nitrogen @ 12 kgha-1&nbsp;in summer moong also significantly increased the nutrient uptake and protein content as compared to lower doses.

Residual Effect of Rice Residue, Fym and Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Quality of Summer Moong (Vigna radiata L.) in Rice-Potato-Summer Moong Cropping System

<div>Background: Weeds are major factor that leads to increase crop-weed competition and adversely effects of on growth, quality and yield of urdbean during kharif season. In urdbean the critical period for crop weed competition was the first 25-30 days; yields can be reduced by 50-90%, if weeds were not controlled during this period. As a result, successful weed management strategies to achieve increased growth and yield. Due to the ease, lower cost, timeliness and success controlling weeds, the progressive transformation of agriculture involving intensive use of herbicides has gained traction in recent years. 
 
Methods: During kharif season 2019, a field experiment was undertaken at the Agricultural Research Station of&nbsp;Ummedganj, Kota, comprising ten weed management strategies, laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications. 
 
Result: Two hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS recorded significantly lower weeds dry matter, higher weed control efficacy, ultimately culminating in improved yield attributes and yield, compared to weedy check. This treatment was at par with pendimethalin 30% EC @ 1 kg a.i. ha-1 fb propaquizafop 2.5% w w-1 @ 33.3 g a.i. ha-1 + imazethapyr 3.75% w w-1 (pre mix) ME @ 50 g a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS resulting in significantly higher pods plant-1 (13.67), seeds pod-1 (6.33), test weight (28.47 g), grain (827 kg ha-1), straw (1393 kg ha-1), biological (2221 kg ha-1) and harvest index (37.26%) of urdbean over the other chemical based treatment.</div>

​​Improved Herbicide Efficacy through Sole and Sequential Application of Herbicides for Higher Productivity of Urdbean (Vigna mungo) in Indian Semi-arid Tropics