Weed growth, yield and quality of summer cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) as influenced by weed management

A field experiment was conducted in medium black soil at the College of Agriculture, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh (Gujarat) during summer season of 2012 to study the effect of weed management practices on growth and yield of summer cowpea. Ten treatments viz., pendimethalin 0.75 kg ha–1 as PPI, pendimethalin 0.75 kg ha–1 as PE, pendimethalin 0.90 kg ha–1 as PE, quizalofop 0.04 kg ha–1 as POE, fenoxaprop 0.075 kg ha–1 as POE, imazethapyr 0.075 kg ha–1 as POE, one H.W. at 30 DAS, two H.W. at 20 and 40 DAS, weed free and weedy check were conducted in randomized block design with four replications. Among herbicidal treatments, weed free recorded significantly lowest density weeds and dry weight of weeds, weed control efficiency, protein content, protein yield, seed yield, stover yield and biological yield, however, it remained at par with two H.W. at 20 and 40 DAS, quizalofop 0.04 kg ha–1 as POE, fenoxaprop 0.075 kg ha–1 as POE, imazethapyr 0.075 kg ha–1 as POE and H.W. at 30 DAS. The highest net returns of (` 32,008 ha–1) was achieved from weed free treatment and remained on par with treatments viz., quizalofop @ 0.04 Kg ha–1 as POE at 30 DAS, two H.W. at 20 and 40 DAS and fenoxaprop @ 0.075 Kg ha–1 as POE. Though, the maximum BCR (2.48) was gained with the quizalofop @ 0.04 Kg ha– 1 as POE.