Impact of Weed Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Spring Maize under Different Irrigation Levels

Author: Munny Chinyo, Tej Pratap, V.K. Singh, Navneet Pareek, S.P. Singh and V.C. Dhyani

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Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India, during the Spring seasons of 2022 and 2023 to assess the impact of moisture regimes and herbicide efficacy in maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment employed a split-plot design, with the main plots assigned to two irrigation levels: IW/CPE 0.8 and IW/CPE 1.2. Within each main plot, eight weed management treatments were evaluated, including atrazine 1000 g/ha, tembotrione 120 g/ha, topramezone 25.2 g/ha, atrazine 1000 g/ha followed by hand-weeding, atrazine 1000 g/ha followed by tembotrione 120 g/ha, atrazine 1000 g/ha followed by topramezone 25.2 g/ha, a weed-free control, and a weedy check. Each treatment was replicated three times in subplots. The economic analysis revealed that irrigation at an IW:CPE ratio of 1.2 recorded significantly higher net returns of ₹72232/ha. Among the weed management treatments, Atrazine 1000 g/ha followed by Topramezone 25.2 g/ha resulted in the lowest nutrient removal by weeds and attained the highest net income of ₹77961/ha, with Atrazine 1000 g/ha followed by Tembotrione 120 g/ha generating the next highest net income of ₹72651/ha. The two-year investigation concluded that the optimal approach for effective herbicide efficacy, increased maize productivity and maximized net returns in the Tarai region of Uttarakhand is the pre-emergence application of Atrazine 1000 g /ha followed by post-emergence Topramezone 25.2 g/ha, coupled with irrigation at an IW/CPE ratio of 1.2

Keywords

Economics, Herbicides, Herbicide efficiency index, Irrigation levels, Maize

Conclusion

The study concluded that irrigation scheduled at IW/CPE 1.2, coupled with a sequential application of a pre-emergence (PE) treatment of atrazine at 1000 g/ha followed by a post-emergence (PoE) application of topramezone at 25.2 g/ha (25 DAS), was the most effective treatment combination for reducing nutrient removal by weeds, enhancing herbicide efficacy, and achieving higher maize productivity. This approach maximized maize grain yield and economic returns, proving particularly beneficial for improving the productivity and profitability of spring-planted maize under various irrigation levels and weed management practices

References

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How to cite this article

Munny Chinyo, Tej Pratap, V.K. Singh, Navneet Pareek, S.P. Singh and V.C. Dhyani (2024). Impact of Weed Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Spring Maize under Different Irrigation Levels. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 16(8): 328-332