Efficacy of Atrazine and other Herbicides for Weed Control in Maize¹

In field experiments conducted in maize (Zea mays L.) at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (India) during 1980 and 1981, application of atrazine (0.33 kg/ha) as 20 cm wide bands over the crop row five days after sowing followed by directed spray of paraquat 0.25 kg/ha (21 days after sowing) gave the same level of weed control and grain yield as blanket application of atrazine 1.0 kg/ha and the treat-ment with two hand weedings (hoeing). Early postemergence band application of atrazine (10 and 15 days after sowing) resulted in a significant reduction in grain yield compared to its blanket preemergence application. Atrazine 0.625 kg/ha preemergence gave 15.2 and 10.8% lower grain yield than atrazine 1.0 kg/ha and its postemergence band application at 0.33 kg/ha. The preemergence application of terbutryn 1.0 kg/ha and pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha showed unsatisfactory control of weeds.