Halauxifen plus fluroxypyr pre-mix herbicide as a post-emergent against broad-leaf weeds in wheat

Broad-leaf weeds are known to pose a severe challenge to wheat in the rice-wheat cropping system in North-West India. A field studies were conducted at Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during 2017-18 and 2018-19 in randomized complete block design replicated four times to evaluate the efficacy of herbicide with an alternative mechanism of action for the control of broad-leaf weeds in wheat. Treatments comprised of halauxifenmethyl 1.21% + fluroxypyr-methyl 38.9% EC at 160.4 (4.8+155.6), 200.6 (6.1+194.5) and 240.66 (7.3+233.4) g/ha, halauxifen 10.42% WG at 7.3 g/ha + PG 26-2 N surfactant at 750 ml/ha, fluroxypyr-methyl 48% EC at 233.4 g/ha, metsulfuron 20% WP at 4 g/ha+ surfactant, metsulfuron 10% + carfentrazone 40% DF at 25 g/ha + surfactant, weed free check and weedy check. The results indicated that post-emergence application of halauxifen + fluroxypyr at 200.6 and 240.66 g/ha effectively controlled broad-leaf weeds namely Medicago denticulata, Rumex dentatus and Coronopus didymus and gave wheat grain yield of 5.25 and 5.34 and 5.15 & 5.25 t/ha during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. The current study demonstrated that halauxifen + fluroxypyr at 200.6-240.66 g/ha would be a suitable option for controlling broad-leaf weeds in wheat in Punjab.