Weed management in berseem

Experiments was conducted during Rabi season of three consecutive years from 2012 to 2015 to study the effect of weed management on forage and seed yield of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) in medium black soil. The treatment combinations were application of pre-emergence herbicides viz. pendimethalin and oxyflourfen and post-emergence herbicide, viz. imazethapyr in different proportion along with weedy check (control). Based on the pooled mean data for three years, it was revealed that green fodder, dry matter and crude protein yields (34.39, 4.53 and 0.81 t/ha respectively) were significantly higher in treatment combination of oxyflourfen 0.1 kg/ha + imazethapyr 0.1 kg/ha immediate after harvest of first cut. The same treatment combination recorded highest seed yield (0.47 t/ha) and straw yield (5.87 t/ha) with net monetary returns of ‘1,34,048/ha, benefit cost ratio of 3.43 and maize fodder equivalent yield of 72.68 t/ha. The lowest weed dry matter yield (0.05 t/ha) and highest weed control efficiency (80.97%) were recorded in same treatment combination.