Bio-efficacy evaluation of herbicides and their mixtures on broad leaf weeds in wheat

A field experiment was conducted during Rabi 2016-17 at Agronomy Research Farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The experiment comprised of five post emergence herbicides (metsulfuron, carfentrazone, 2, 4-D Ester, pyroxsulam and halauxifen) and their mixtures at different doses along with weedy check and weed free treatment. Major weed flora in experiment includes Anagallis arvensis, Chenopodium album, Melilotus indicus, Medicago denticulata, Rumex dentatus etc. Application of the herbicides halauxifen + pyroxsulam at 23.96 g/ha, metsulfuron + 2, 4-D Ester at (3 + 500 g/ha) and halauxifen + pyroxsulam at 19.17 g/ha significantly increased the dry matter accumulation of wheat and plant height at harvest compared to weedy check. Application of halauxifen + pyroxsulam at 23.96 kg/ha, metsulfuron + 2, 4-D Ester at 3 + 500 g/ha and carfentrazone + 2, 4-D Ester at 15 + 500 g/ha resulted into higher number of tillers per meter row length. Application of halauxifen + pyroxsulam sprayed at 23.96 g/ha at 35 days after sowing was the most effective treatment to control the weeds in wheat with higher grain yield of 5395 kg/ha, straw yield of 8466 kg/ha and biological yield of 13861 kg/ha with highest weed control efficiency followed by metsulfuron + 2, 4-D Ester at 3 + 500 g/ha and carfentrazone + 2, 4-D Ester at 15 + 500 g/ha.