Nutrients Uptake by Mungbean and Associated Weeds in Relation to Herbicides1

Field experiment was conducted in Haryana, to measure the effect of six herbicides, weed free and weedy treatments on the uptake of nutrients by mungbean and associated weeds. The weeds when allowed to compete till crop harvest depleted 120.4, 15.9 and 119 kg N, P2O5 and K2O/ha, respectively. Among the various weeds present in the field, Echinochloa cofonum depleted maximum nutrients i.e. 92.8, 12.3 and 92.0 kg N, P2O5 and K2O/ha, respectively. Hand hoeing and application of fluchloralin at 1.0 - 2.0 kg/ha, alachlor 1.0 kg/ha and prometryne 0.5 kg/ha decreased the nutrients uptake through weeds significantly. It is clear from the data presented in this paper that with the control of weeds, the total nutrients available to the crop can be increased markedly.