Weed management practices on winter French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) under western Uttar Pradesh conditions

A Field investigation was conducted during the Rabi season of 2003-04 and 2004-05 at Baraut, Uttar Pradesh, to find out most suitable weed management practices on winter French bean. Among the 12 weed management treatments in French bean viz. weedy check, hand weeding at 30 days after sowing, weed free, fluchloralin @ 0.75 kg/ha, fluchloralin @ 1.0 kg/ha, fluchloralin @ 0.75 kg/ha with hand weeding at 30 days after sowing, pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg/ha, pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg/ha, pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg/ha with hand weeding at 30 days after sowing, oxyfluorfen @ 0.15 kg/ha, oxyfluorfen 0.20 kg/ha, oxyfluorfen @ 0.15 kg/ha with hand weeding at 30 days after sowing. Application of fluchloralin (pre-planting) @ 1.0 kg a.i./ha had maximum weed control efficiency (79.8%), which was at par to pre-emergence application of pendimethalin1.0 kg/ha (78.7%). The effect of these herbicides were also pronomced in terms of different growth and yield attributes of French bean crop and had maximum number of branches/plant (6.16 to 6.23), leaf area index (1.06 to 1.07), number of pods/plant (5.51 to 5.53) and 100-seed weight (316.2 to 316.7). The highest yield (1.11 to 1.10 t/ha) and N uptake (52.52 to 52.95 kg/ha) was noticed under fluchloralin or pendimethalin applied plot 1.0 kg/ha also it had reduced N losses through weeds. Economic evaluation in terms of returns Rs./Re invested was maximum under fluchloralin or pendimethalin applied plot reveals the significance of these herbicides in western Uttar Pradesh.