Chemical and Non-chemical Method of Weed Management in Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) in North Eastern Zone of Tamil Nadu

Pulse crops are grown in different cropping systems as a sole crop, catch crop, mixed crop, intercrop and sequential crop in different cropping systems followed by farmers. The crops are facing weed infestation during its entire life cycle from seed to seed. The weed management in appropriate time will increase the yield. In the present study, the dominant weeds species like Echinochloa colona, Cyperus rotundus, Commelina benghalensis and Phyllanthus spp. were observed. Among the treatment methods, application of both pre emergence (pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i ha⁻¹) at 3 DAS (days after sowing) + post emergence (Quizalofop-p-ethyl @ 50 g.i ha⁻¹⁾ at 25 DAS recorded the minimum weed density and shown weed control efficiency of 97.32 per cent at 45 DAS and 97.94 per cent at 60 DAS with seed yield of 1004.1 kg ha⁻¹. The non chemical method like sugarcane trash mulching decreased the weed density but the complete weed control efficiency was not observed. The herbicidal treatments significantly reduced the weed biomass compared to weedy check.

Timely application of pre emergence (pendimethalin @ 1 kg a.i ha⁻¹) at 3 DAS (days after sowing) + post emergence (Quizalofop-p-ethyl @ 50 g.i ha⁻¹⁾ at 25 DAS was very effective in controlling weeds and also increased the seed yield in greengram ecosystem which eliminates the scarcity of labour.