Integrated weed management in onion

A field experiment was carried out for two consecutive years during Kharif seasons of 2010 and 2011 to find out practically convenient and economically feasible weed management practice in onion at breeder seed production farm in Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri. Different combinations of hand weeding with application of Pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha (pre-planting) and oxyfluorfen 0.250 kg/ha (post-emergence) were used in onion variety ‘Baswant-780’. Weed free check treatment (three hand weeding at 20, 40 and 60 DAS) recorded significantly lowest weed density, dry weight of weed and higher weed control efficiency. All the growth attributes of onion viz., plant height, neck thickness, bulb weight and bulb diameter were recorded maximum in weed free. This treatment also recorded highest bulb yield and gross monetary return per hectare, however maximum B:C ratio was observed in treatment pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha (PP)+ Oxyfluorfen 0.250 kg/ha (POE)+ One hand wedding at 40 DAS.