Efficacy of different pre and post-emergence herbicides on growth, yield and economics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A field experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Mandor, Jodhpur during rabi season of 2016-17 to evaluate the “Efficacy of pre and post-emergence herbicides on growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)”. Sixteen treatments were formulated including pre and post-emergence herbicides and laid out in randomized block design (RBD) and replicated thrice. The results revealed that weed free recorded significantly higher growth and yield attributing characters and yields over rest of the treatments. Among herbicidal treatments, plant height, no. of branches plant-1, dry matter accumulation (g plant-1) as well as yield attributing characters viz., no. of pods plant-1, no. of seeds pod-1 and 100-seed weight of chickpea were produced significantly higher under application of pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) + imazethapyr @ 60 g a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS (W12) as pre and post-emergence herbicides resulted in higher seed and stalk yield, but statistically equally effective with similar combination and lower dose treatment i.e. pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) + imazethapyr @ 40 g a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS (W11). Increase in seed and stalk yield, which subsequently improved gross returns, net returns and B: C ratio also and recorded highest under pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) + imazethapyr @ 60 g a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS (W12) as pre and post-emergence application, but showed equal economic feasibility with pendimethalin @ 0.60 kg a.i. ha-1 (PE) + imazethapyr @ 40 g a.i. ha-1 at 20 DAS (W11) as pre and post-emergence application.