Bio-efficacy of metribuzin based herbicide mixtures on weeds and productivity of wheat

A field experiment was conducted during 2014–15 and 2015–16 at Hisar, Haryana, to study bioefficacy of metribuzin-based herbicide mixture on weeds and producitivty of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design comprising 5 wheat varieties ‘WH 1105’, ‘HD 2967’, ‘DPW 621-50’, ‘WH 1124’ and ‘DBW 17’ in main plots and 6 weed-management practices, viz. metribuzin (210 g/ha), metribuzin + fenoxaprop (150 + 100 g/ha), metribuzin + pinoxaden (150 + 40 g/ha) metribuzin + clodinafop (150 + 45 g/ha), weed-free and weedy check, in subplots, each replicated thrice. The wheat varieties did not affect the weed density and weed dry-matter accumulation. Wheat variety ‘WH 1105’ resulted in the maximum grain, straw and biological yields, being statistically at par with ‘HD 2967’ and ‘DPW 621-50’, but significantly better over ‘DBW 17’ and ‘WH 1124’. Among the herbicides, the density of grassy and total weeds and their dry-matter accumulation at all stages were observed minimum with metribuzin + fenoxaprop which remained at par with other 2 combinations of metribuzin, whereas density and dry matter of broad-leaf weeds were found minimum with metribuzin alone (210 g/ha). Alone application of metribuzin resulted in the lowest grain yield of wheat as compared to all the other herbi-cidal treatments.