Efficacy of Halauxifen-methyl + Florasulam against Complex Weeds in Wheat under Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hill Zone of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Wheat crop is inhabited by several monocot and dicot weeds which have posed a major problem in wheat crop production. These weeds not only reduce the quality and quantity of the produce but also increase the cost of production. There management therefore becomes crucial with the help of proper combination of herbicides considering the bottlenecks of mechanical methods. Thus, a field experiment was conducted in the Rabi season of 2016-2017 at the research farm of Department of Agronomy, JNKVV, Jabalpur. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with ten treatments including eight herbicidal combinations with hand weeding at 30 DAS and weedy check and replicated thrice. Various observations on weed and crop growth parameters, yield, and economics were made. The results indicated that the application of halauxifen-methyl + florasulam at 10.20 g/ha significantly reduced the weed density and dry weight, increased the plant height, number of tillers and leaf area index as compared to all other herbicidal treatments with an exception to hand weeding. It also enhanced the grain and straw yield (5810.12 kg/ha and 7103.75 kg/ha). The application of halauxifen-methyl + florasulam at 10.20 g/ha recorded highest net monetary returns (104555 Rs/ha) and resulted in maximum benefit with a B:C ratio of 3.8. Thus, this could be promising technology for controlling weeds in wheat crop.