Legume Research

Web of Science
  • Year: 2025
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: spl

Management of Invasive Golden Dodder (Cuscuta chinensis) in Rice-fallow Pulse Agro-ecosystem of Tamil Nadu Through Chemical Weed Control Practices

  • Author:
  • V. Karunakaran1, K. Sivagamy2,*, S. Radhamani3, S. Kalaisudarson4, M. Chitra5, P. Sivakumar5, M. Radha6
  • Total Page Count: 7
  • Page Number: 108 to 114

1ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Thiruvarur-614 404, Tamil Nadu, India

2ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tirur-602 025, Tamil Nadu, India

3All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Weed Management, Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003, Tamil Nadu, India

4Agricultural College and Research Institute, Keezhvelur, Nagapattinam-611 105, Tamil Nadu, India

5Dr MS Swaminathan Agricultural College and Research Institute, Eachangkottai-614 902, Tamil Nadu, India

6Kunthavai Naachiyaar Government Arts College for Women (A), Thanjavur-613 007, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding Author: K. Sivagamy, ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tirur-602 025, Tamil Nadu, India, Email: ksivagamy@tnau.ac.in

Online published on 6 February, 2026.

Abstract

Invasive golden dodder incidence poses a serious threat to rice-fallow pulse agro-ecosystems of Tamil Nadu, reducing crop growth, yield and profitability. Effective chemical weed management strategies are essential to suppress this parasitic weed and sustain pulse productivity in rice fallow systems.

Field experiments were conducted during the rice fallow summer seasons of 2024 and 2025 (January-March) at ICARKrishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Thiruvarur district of Tamil Nadu. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The experimental field was observed with notable invasion of dicot weed flora golden dodder (Cuscuta chinensis) for the past three years prior to that there was no such incidence. The treatments consisted T1- Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg ha-1; T2- EPoE application of fluazifop-p-butyl 11.1% + fomesafen 11.1% @ 250 g ha-1; T3- EPoE application of propaquizafop 2.5% + imazethapyr 3.75% @ 125 g ha-1; T4- EPoE application of clodinafop propargyl 8% + acifluorfen sodium 16.5% @ 185 g ha-1; T5- Weed free and T6- Unweeded control. The green gram cultivar ADT 3 was taken up in the experiment for study.

The EPoE application of fluazifop-p-butyl 11.1% + fomesafen 11.1% @ 250 g ha-1 on 25 DAS resulted in less dry matter production of dodder on 30 DAS (1.86 g m-2) and the same treatment restricted the further growth, establishment and dry matter production of dodder to nil (0.0 g m-2) at 60 DAS. Similarly the same treatment also recorded higher grain yield (710.5 kg ha-1), gross return (49104 ₹ ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.45). Hence, it is recommended that EPoE application of fluazifop-p-butyl 11.1% + fomesafen 11.1% @ 250 g ha-1 on 25 DAS in rice fallow pulse (green gram) for effective golden dodder management and sustaining the productivity and profitability of the agro-ecosystem.

Keywords

Golden dodder, Green gram, Herbicide, Rice fallow, Weed management