Influence of Weed Management Practices on Nutrient Removal and Performance of Transplanted Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.)

Abstract

Background: Finger millet production and productivity is lowering in India due to the growth of different weed species. Weeds are the prime yield limiting biotic constraints in finger millet. Therefore, the present investigation has been carried out to find out the suitable weed management practices on the performance of finger millet.\nMethods: In this regard, a field experiment was carried out during Kharif, 2018 at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India to evaluate the different weed management practices for transplanted finger millet under sodic soil. The experiment comprised of ten weed management practices with different herbicidal treatments viz., pre emergence (PE) application of pendimethalin at 750 g/ha, oxyfluorfen at\xa050 g/ha, bensulfuron methyl at 60 g/ha + pretilachlor at 600 g/ha, early post emergence (EPOE) application of bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha, PE pendimethalin at 750 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha, PE oxyfluorfen at 50 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha, PE bensulfuron methyl at 60 g/ha + pretilachlor at 600 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha, PE oxyfluorfen at 50 g/ha fb hand weeding (HW) at 30 DAT, HW at 15 and 30 DAT and unweeded control (UWC) in transplanted finger millet. Result: The results revealed that lower nutrient removal by weeds, higher nutrient uptake by crop and yield parameters viz., productive tillers/m2, earhead weight and total grains/earhead were registered in application of PE bensulfuron methyl at 60 g/ha + pretilachlor at 600 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha. The highest grain and straw yields were also registered in application of PE bensulfuron methyl at 60 g/ha + pretilachlor at 600 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium at 25 g/ha and it was on par with hand weeding at 15 and 30 DAT.\n