Bio-efficacy of ready mixture of propaquizafop and imazethapyr against weeds in pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2017 and 2018 at the Live Stock Farm, Department of Agronomy, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh to adjudge the efficacy of propaquizafop and imazethapyr ready mixture against weeds in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]. Species-wise weed data recorded in the weedy check plots indicated that, density of monocot weeds (51.09%) was practically same to that of dicot ones (48.90%) in the experimental field. Among the monocots, jungle rice [Echinochloa colona (L.) Link.] (27.10%) was found predominant, followed by dicot weeds like gale of the wind Phyllanthus niruri (L.) (24.26%) and alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart. Griseb.] (16.40%) due to continuous germination of these weed seeds from the soil. However, other monocot weeds like (Cyperus rotundus L.), Bermuda grass [Cynodon dactylon, (L.) pers.], tropical spiderwort (Commelina benghalensis L.), and dicots like Chicory (Cichorium intybus) L.) were also present in less numbers. Among the herbicidal treatments, post-emergence application of propaquizafop + imazethapyr ready-mixture at 55 + 80 g/ha arrested weed density and weed biomass production remarkably and proved superior to its lower doses (50 + 75 and 45 + 70 g/ha), fomesafen + fluazeop-p-butyl ready mixture (90 + 90 and 110 + 110 g/ha), alone application of imazethapyr (150 g/ha) and pendimethalin (1,000 g/ha) as pre-emergence. Yield attributing characters (pods/plant, seeds/pod, seed index) and yield (1,189 kg/ha) were superior under propaquizafop + imazethapyr ready mixture applied at 55 + 80 g/ha followed, by 50 + 75 g/ha and found more remunerative than the other herbicidal treatments including check herbicides and mechanical weed control.