Weed management strategies in jute grown for seed production in calcareous soils of north Bihar

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Crop Research Centre of RAU, Pusa, Bihar during kharif 2006 and 2007 to evaluate the comparative efficacy of herbicides fenoxaprop-p-ethyl with standard doses of quizalofop and pendimethalin to control grassy weeds in jute grown for seed production. Losses in seed yield in control plot were observed 63.4% in comparison to hand weeding twice. Weed species count at 40 and 60 days after sowing (DAS) was found lowest in fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 67.5 g/ha treated plot while seed yield was higher in the fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 56.25 g/ha. Morphophysiological attributes of jute viz., plant height, base diameter, number of capsules per plant, 1000 seed weight and seed yield were found significantly higher in fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 56.25 g/ha which showed at par with quizalofop at 62.5 g/ha among the herbicidal treatments. The highest weed control efficiency was observed in fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 67.5 g/ha but yield attributes and yield were found higher in fenoxaprop-p-ethyl at 56.25 g/ha. The study also revealed post emergence herbicides-fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and quizalofop more effective than pre emergence herbicides pendimethalin in controlling the weeds in jute.