PRE & PPI herbicides, soil moisture, herbicide efficacy

A field experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) seasons of 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 to assess the efficacy of pendimethalin, trifluralin and linuron in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) at Punjab Agricultural University Regional Station, Bathinda under irrigated conditions. All the herbicidal treatments reduced the dry matter of weeds significantly than weedy check. Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha had minimum dry weight of weeds than other herbicidal treatments. Pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha was most effective in enhancing the yield attributes and resulted in maximum grain yield (1507 kg/ha). Amongst different weed control treatments, an application of pendimethalin at 0.75 kg/ha recorded the maximum net return (Rs. 11,149/ha) and benefit : cost ratio (1.43) followed by pendimethalin at 1.0 kg/ha.