Pre-and post-emergence application of atrazine in integration with hand weeding for weed management in pearl millet

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2013 to 2015 at pearl millet Research Station, Jamnagar, Gujarat to study the effect of pre-and post-emergence application of atrazine integrated with manual weeding on weeds, crop productivity, nutrient removal and economics of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.). The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design comprising of eight weed control treatments with three replications. Lesser weed density (8.22 no./m² at 30 DAS and 11.89 no./m² at harvest) and weed-biomass (20.2 g/m²), higher weed control efficiency (84.3%) and lower weed index (7.8%) were observed with post-emergence application of atrazine 0.40 kg/ha followed by fb) hand weeding (HW) at 35 days after sowing (DAS). The pre-emergence application of atrazine 0.50 kg/ha + HW at 35 DAS was at par with post-emergence application of atrazine 0.40 kg/ha + HW at 35 DAS and recorded maximum net returns (‘ 40,087/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.97).