Weed-management strategies in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) for higher productivity and profitability in north-western part of India

A field experiment was conducted during 2009–10 and 2010–11 at Ludhiana, Punjab, to investigate the efficacy of different herbicides in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) for effective management of grass and broad-leaf weeds. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete-block design with 15 treatments replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of pre-emergence (PE) application of oxyfluorfen @ 0.15 kg/ha followed by (fb) 1 handweeding 45 days after sowing (DAS), oxyfluorfen (PE) @ 0.175, 0.200, 0.225 kg/ha, alachlor (PE) @ 2.0 and 2.5 kg/ha each fb 1 hand-weeding at 45 DAS, pendimethalin (PE) @ 0.75 kg fb 1 HW at 45 DAS, tank-mix pendimethalin + alachlor (PE) @ 0.50 +1.25 kg/ha, 0.75 + 1.25 kg/ha, pendimethalin + oxyfluorfen (PE) @ 0.75 + 0.15 kg/ha, trifluralin + alachlor (PE) @ 0.50 + 1.25, 0.75 + 1.25 kg/ha, trifluralin + oxyfluorfen (PE) @ 0.75 + 0.15 kg/ha, weed free and unweeded control. The results showed that pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg/ha or oxyfluorfen @ 0.15 kg/ha fb 1 hand-weeding at 45 DAS significantly reduced weed density and dry weight, thereby attaining the highest average grain yield of 1.43 and 1.47 t/ha. Benefit: cost ratio was also the highest in pre-emergence application of oxyflourfen @ 0.15 kg/ha fb 1 HW at 45 DAS followed by pendimethalin 0.75 kg fb 1 HW at 45 DAS.