Abstract

A field investigation was carried out for two consecutive kharif seasons during 2013 and 2014 at the Research Farm, College of Agriculture, RVSKVV, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh to study the bio-efficacy of propaquizafop for the control of narrow-leaved weeds in sesame. Experiment consisted of eight treatments viz., T1 (Propaquizafop 10% EC @ 50 g a.i./ha PoE), T2 (Propaquizafop 10% EC @ 62.5 g a. i./ha PoE), T3 (Propaquizafop 10% EC @ 100 g a. i./ha PoE), T4 (Propaquizafop 10% EC @ 125 g a. i./ha PoE), T5 (Quizalofop-pethyl 5% EC @ 50 g a. i./ha PoE), T6 (Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 9% w/w EC @ 100 g a. i./ha PoE), T7 (Two hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS) and T8 (Weedy check). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (R. B. D.) with three replications. Propaquizafop and other two herbicides viz., quizalofop-p-ethyl and fenoxaprop-p-ethylwere applied at 2–3 leaf stage of weeds. Among the herbicidal treatments, propaquizafop @ 125 g a. i./ha gave lowest narrow-leaved weed density as well as their dry weight at 75 DAS stage on pooled basis, however, these herbicides were not found effective against broad-leaved weeds. These were observed statistically at par with all the doses of propaquizafop tried under investigation. The highest sesame grain yield (718 kg/ha), oil yield (348 kg/ha), harvest index (18.11%) and net income ( 47339) were recorded with execution of two hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS (T7) over rest of the weed control treatments followed by propaquizafop application @ 50 g a. i./ha (T1). Propaquizafop applied at its higher dose (@125 g a. i./ha) gave excellent control of narrow-leaved weeds but this could not turn into yield due to phytotoxicity caused by it on the crop.