Efficacy of different herbicides in weed management of irrigated wheat on farmer's field in Bundelkhand zone of Madhya Pradesh

Wheat (Triticum astivum L. enend, Fiori and Paol) is the second most important post rainy. season cereal crop in India. Madhya Pradesh alone contributes 15.86% to total area (4.64 m hal and 10.87% (9.27 mt) production with a productivity of 2073 kg/ha during 2010–11. District Datia has also a sizable area of 0.13 mha with production of 0.26 m tones. The average productivity of Datia 2080 kg/ha is far below the potential expected yield from improved technologies. Among the majpr constraints of lower productivity weed problem is one of the most important biotic constraints for limiting the wheat yield under irrigated condition. Hence the use of herbicides assumed a great significance for controlling the weeds and enhance the productivity of wheat. Considering the above facts, farmers participatory on farm trials of wheat were conducted at different villages of Datia district under irrigated condition on medium to heavy soils which having low to medium fertility status during 2007–08 to 2010–11. Trails were conducted to assess the efficacy of post emergence herbicides namely isoproturan @ 1 kg/ha + 2, 4-D @ 0.75 kg fha, Sulfosulfuran @ 35 g./ha, Metribuzin @ 175 g./ha and Carfentrazone @ 60 g./ha at 25 days after sowing (DAS) during 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2010–11 respectively. Results showed significant increase in weed control efficincy, no. of tillers/m², test weight and harvest index than farmers practice (No use of herbicides). Grain and straw yield of wheat also get higher 3.44 t/ha and 4.24 t/ha over farmers practice (2.81 t./ha and 3.92 t/ha) respectively. Net return and B: C ratio were also higher in herbicide treatment over farmers practice.