Bio-efficacy of Herbicides and Nutrient Management on Weed Control and Productivity of Chickpea

Abstract

Background: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a key Rabi pulse crop in India; however, its productivity is severely constrained by weed infestation, causing substantial yield losses. Reliance on manual weeding is increasingly impractical, necessitating integrated approaches combining chemical weed control and nutrient management. Aim: The field experiment aimed to evaluate the bio-efficacy of herbicide combinations integrated with nutrient management practices on weed dynamics and productivity of chickpea. Method: During Rabi 2023–24, a Factorial Randomized Block Design field experiment was conducted at Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, comprising six weed management and four nutrient management treatments. Herbicide regimes included pre- and post-emergence applications such as pendimethalin, imazethapyr, oxyfluorfen and quizalofop, alongside weed-free and weedy checks. Observations on weed density, weed dry matter and yield attributes were recorded. Results: Results indicated that weed-free treatment recorded the lowest weed density and weed dry matter, resulting in the highest grain yield. Among herbicidal treatments, imazethapyr + imazamox was most effective and at par with oxyfluorfen, followed by quizalofop in reducing weed pressure. Grain yield ranged from 1.00 t ha⁻¹ under weedy check to 1.99 t ha⁻¹ under weed-free conditions, with comparable performance of imazethapyr + imazamox (up to 2.02 t ha⁻¹). Nutrient management showed that 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB performed best and was at par with 100% RDF, improving crop productivity. Conclusion: Integrated weed and nutrient management significantly improved weed control efficiency and chickpea productivity. The combination of imazethapyr + imazamox or oxyfluorfen followed by quizalofop along with 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB is recommended for effective weed suppression and higher yield under similar agro-climatic conditions.