Impact of Tillage and Herbicides on the Dynamics of Broad Leaf Weeds in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of tillage and herbicides on broad leaf weeds (BLW) at Varanasi. The treatments consisting of four tillage practices viz. conventional tillage no-residue, conventional tillage with residue, zero tillage no residue, zero tillage with residue in main plot and six herbicidal treatments viz. weedy check, weed free, mesosulfuron (12 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS, metsulfuron (4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS, clodinafop + metsulfuron (60+4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) and mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron (12+2.4 g ai ha-1 at 30 DAS) were allocated to sub plots with three replications. In the present study, zero tillage with residue recorded the lowest density of BLW viz. Rumex dentatus, Chenopodium album, Anagallis arvensis, Melilotus indica and Vicia sativa, total weed density; and the highest WCE as compared to the conventional tillage no-residue, zero tillage no residue and conventional tillage with residue, respectively. However, conventional tillage with residue recorded significantly the highest grain yield of wheat. Among herbicidal treatments, mix application of mesosulfuron + iodosulfuron recorded significantly the lowest density of all the BLW and total weed density, highest WCE and grain yield over mesosulfuron followed byone hand weeding at 45 DAS and metsulfuron followed by one hand weeding at 45 DAS and it was statistically at par with clodinafop + metsulfuron.