Integrated weed management in maize-sunflower cropping system

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi and Kharif season of 2012 and 2013 at Veppantattai to study the effect of tillage and weed management methods on weeds dynamics and yield of maize-sunflower cropping system. Results revealed that conventional tillage with disc plough followed by cultivator tillage twice and pre-emergence herbicide (atrazine 0.5 kg/ha for maize and pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha for sunflower), followed by hand weeding on 40 DAS kept the weed density and weed dry weight below the economic threshold level and increased the productivity, net returns and benefit: cost ratio of maize-sunflower cropping system in clay loam soils under irrigated condition.