ICAR Transfer of Technology Projects, Zonal Coordinating Unit, Zone VIII MRS, HA Farm Post, Hebbal, Bangalore-560 024, (Karnataka), India.
On farm trials were conducted at five locations on farmers’ fields in Dharwad district of Karnataka during kharif seasons of 2006 and 2007 to assess the performance of pre-emergence herbicides for controlling weeds in potato. Among the different herbicides, metribuzin at 0.75 kg/ha was found more efficient in controlling weeds with higher weed control efficiency (90.1%) compared to diuron (84.4–85.6%), fluchloralin (79.7–80.7%), alachlor (77.8–78.1%) and pendimethalin (74.6–74.9%). Potato yield was maximum in weed free check (201.3 q/ha). Pre-emergence application of metribuzin at 0.75 kg/ha resulted in similar tuber yield with weed free check. Diuron application at 1.0 kg/ha and farmers’ practice produced similar tuber yields (174.7 and 172.4 q/ha, respectively). The highest benefit: cost ratio was realized in metribuzin at 0.75 kg/ha (2.15) compared to other herbicides and conventional weed management practices.
