Integrated weed management in altered crop geometry of irrigated maize and residual effects on succeeding Bengal gram

A field experiment was carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during Kharif and Rabi seasons of 2018–19 to study the effect of altered crop geometry without changing the total plant population with integrated weed management methods in irrigated maize (Zea mays L.) and their residual effects on succeeding Bengal gram (Cicer arietinum). Based on the results, it could be ascertained that planting pattern of 60 x 25 cm proved to be effective in reducing weed biomass and recorded significantly higher grain yield of about 6.48 t/ha which was at par with the spacing of 75 x 20 cm. Preemergence (PE) application of atrazine at 1.0 kg/ha + hand weeding or twin wheel hoe weeding at 35 DAS was at par with hand weeding twice at 20 and 35 DAS with respect to grain yield. Herbicidal methods of weed management like 2, 4-D and atrazine application did not exert any residual effect on the succeeding Bengal gram.