Effect of nitrogen application and weed management schedules on growth, yields and economics of forage pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

A field experiment was carried out during Kharif 2015 at ICAR-NDRI, Karnal to assess the efficacy of nitrogen application and weed management scheduling on growth, yields and economics of pearlmillet. The experiment consisting of four nitrogen levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1) and six weed management practices in split plot design replicated thrice. The pre-emergence (PE) herbicides viz. atrazine and pendimethalin were combined either with hand weeding (HW) or with post-emergence (POE) herbicide halosulfuron to evolve integrated weed management. The major weed flora at experiment site was constituted Digera arvensis, Cyperus rotundus, Commelina benghalensis, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Trianthema monogyna and Echinochloa colonum. The results indicated that maximum plant height and number of tillers (221.5 cm and 5.1, respectively), stem diameter (4.75 cm), number of leaf (10.0) at harvest, green (505.6 kg ha-1) and dry fodder yield (120 kg ha-1), stover yield (10.85 t ha-1) and biological yield (13.1 t ha-1), were recorded with 150 kg N ha-1 whereas 100 kg N ha-1 recorded highest seed yield (2.3 t ha-1) which were significantly higher over control. Among weed management schedules, besides weed free, higher values of plant height (215.2 cm), number of leaves (10.0), stem diameter (4.69 cm) and leaf stem ratio (0.19) at harvest, stover (10.61 t ha-1) and green fodder yield (444.4 kg ha -1) were recorded with pendimethalin PE fb 1 HW at 25 DAS whereas higher values of dry fodder yield (108.7 kg ha-1) were obtained with atrazine PE fb 1 HW 25 DAS which were at par with other treatments besides weedy check. Higher number of tillers at harvest (5.3) was recorded with atrazine PE fb 1 HW at 25 DAS which was at par with pendimethalin PE fb 1 HW at 25 DAS whereas maximum seed yield (2.3 t ha-1) was recorded with pendimethalin PE fb 1 HW 25 DAS which were at par with atrazine PE fb 1 HW 25 DAS and significantly differ than other treatments. Highest gross, net returns and B: C ratio were observed with 100 kg N ha-1 and pendimethalin (PE) fb 1 HW 25 DAS. The highest grain yield (2304.5 kg N ha-1) was obtained at 126.5 kg N ha-1 which was considered as optimum economic dose.