Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Main Oilseeds Research Station Farm of Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh for three consecutive years during 2007–08 to 2009–10 to evaluate post-emergence herbicides in rainy season groundnut. The experiment, comprising 11 weed control treatments of pre- and post-emergence herbicides, weedy check and weed free check, was conducted in randomised block design (RBD) with three replications on medium clay soils with pH 7.9. The experimental field was infested with Echinochloa spp., Dinebra retroflexa, Digitaria sanguinalis, Indigofera glandulosa, Commelina benghalensis, Phyllanthus niruri, Euphorbia hirta, Digera arvensis, Cynodon dactylon, Tridax procumbens and Cyperus rotundus. Among the monocots, Echinochloa spp. was predominant and C. rotundus was predominant among sedges. Complete weed free condition recorded highest dry pod, haulm and kernel yield (2773, 3934 and 1997 kg/ha, respectively). Among the herbicidal treatments, pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha+post-emergence application of quizalofop ethyl 50.0 g/ha at 20 DAS recorded the lowest monocot (3.81/m2), dicot (3.63/m2), sedges (3.83/m2) weed density, dry weight of weeds (133 g/m2), weed control efficiency (84.2%) at 60 DAS and lower weed index (4.6%). The same treatment combination recorded significantly higher dry pod yield (2645 kg/ha), haulm yield (3424 kg/ha), kernel yield (1902 kg/ha), gross returns (Rs. 66360/ha), net returns (Rs. 42190/ha) and B: C ratio 2.75.