Comparative efficacy of herbicide-mixtures for efficient weed management and productivity enhancement of pre-Kharif greengram

Early slow growing behaviour of short-duration greengram (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) makes it a poor competitor against weeds and failure to take up timely weed control measures may lead to severe yield losses. Hence, the present study was taken up during the pre-Kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023 at Kalyani, West Bengal with an objective to assess different herbicide-mixes for their weed managing efficiency in greengram and improving productivity and profitability. Propaquizafop (2.5%) + imazethapyr (3.75%) w/w ME (propaquizafop + imazethapyr) 125 g/ha and quizalofop-ethyl (5% EC) + imazethapyr (10% SL) (quizalofop-ethyl + imazethapyr) 50+75g/ha at 15 days after sowing (DAS) were most effective against grasses. Clodinafop-propargyl (8%) + sodium-acifluorfen (16.5%) EC (clodinafop-propargyl + sodium-acifluorfen), irrespective of doses, significantly reduced growth of broad-leaved weeds. Imazamox (35%) + imazethapyr (35%) WG (imazamox + imazethapyr) 60 g/ha was most effective in controlling sedges. Clodinafop-propargyl + acifluorfen-sodium 245 g/ha, propaquizafop +imazethapyr 125 g/ha and quizalofop-ethyl+ imazethapyr (50+75 g/ha) showed similar efficacy in reducing overall weed growth recording higher weed control efficiency. Weed management with these treatments significantly increased greengram growth traits, greengram productivity and benefit cost ratio. The principal component analysis confirmed the superiority of those treatments. The identified effective herbicide-mixtures usage would help in successful inclusion of greengram in rice-wheat systems.