Integrated weed management in blackgram

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif, 2005 and 2006 at the Pulses and Oilseeds Research Substation, Beldanga, Murshidabad, West Bengal to evolve an integrated weed management (IWM) practice in blackgram. Cynodon dactylon, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Cyperus rotundus, Cleome viscosa and Physalis minima were the dominant weeds. Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin either at lower dosage (0.75 kg/ha) along with one hand weeding at 40 days after sowing or at higher dosage (1.0 kg/ha) without any integration with hand weeding proved to record higher seed yield (1.09 and 1.03 t/ha, respectively. In addition, use of 30% higher seed rate than the normal rate of 22.0 kg/ha was found to effectively suppress the weeds and further enhance the yield level. Season-long weed competition caused an average yield reduction of 26.4% as compared to IWM in blackgram.