Indian Journal of Weed Science

Sesbania aculeata (Willd.) Poir. is an important cover crop often used for improving soil health. The strategy of terminating Sesbania as a cover crop is different under conventional tillage and no-till conditions. In no-tillage systems, where mechanical incorporation is not feasible, brown manuring through herbicide application becomes necessary. Field studies were conducted during the 2023 and 2024 Kharif seasons to evaluate the effectiveness of various herbicides (glyphosate, glufosinate, paraquat, and 2,4-D ethyl ester) applied alone and in combinations to terminate S. aculeata. Studies revealed that 2,4-D ethyl ester (2,4-D-E) 500 g/ha and glufosinate 400 g/ha were highly effective in knocking down Sesbania as a brown manure crop and these herbicides provided a 100% reduction in biomass of Sesbania. Whereas, glyphosate 1500 g/ha and paraquat 500 g/ha were poor for killing Sesbania and these herbicides reduced its biomass only by 67.0 and 46.9%, respectively, compared to untreated control. Economically, 2,4-D-E proved more viable than glufosinate. Additionally, 2,4-D-E can be selectively used to kill Sesbania if it is grown as co-culture with Gramineae crops such as rice, maize and sugarcane. This research highlights the suitability of 2,4-D-E and glufosinate for brown manuring of S. aculeata in conservation agriculture.