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College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, Kerala 680656, India
Tank mixing of herbicides is commonly practiced by farmers for control of a wide spectrum of weeds to save labour and reduce cultivation costs. However, little is known of the probable effects of herbicide mixing on herbicide efficacy. Field experiments were conducted in 2019-20 and 2020-21 in the Kole area of Thrissur district, Kerala, India to assess the feasibility of tank mixing of commonly used herbicides. The treatments involved tank mixtures and sequential applications of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl, chlorimuron-ethyl + metsulfuron-methyl, carfentrazone, bispyribac-sodium, and cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam. Hand-weeded and unweeded controls were also included for comparison. Tank mixing of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl with broad-leaf herbicides reduced its efficacy against Echinochloa colona, as compared to sequential application. The mixture of cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam with chlorimuron-ethyl + metsulfuron-methyl was more effective against E. colona than the former applied alone. This mixture also caused greater biomass reduction of Cyperus iria as compared to the sole application of cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam. Tank mixing of fenoxaprop-p-ethyl with bispyribac-sodium was more effective against Echinochloa stagnina and C. iria as compared to their sequential application, but this mixture was less effective against E. colona. A similar trend was observed with total weed biomass production. Highest rice yield attributes and grain yield (3.97 t/ha) were recorded with tank mixed application of cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam and chlorimuron-ethyl + metsulfuron-methyl, followed by the mixture of fenoxaprop with bispyribac-sodium.
Bispyribac-sodium, Carfentrazone, Chlorimuron-ethyl, Metsulfuron-methyl, Cyperus iria, Echinochloa colona, Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl