Chickpea, Herbicide efficacy, Phytotoxicity, Weed control, Yield

A field experiment was conducted at Junagadh during 2012-13 to evaluate bio-efficacy of pre-and post-emergence herbicides under irrigated conditions of south Gujarat (India). Significantly higher chickpea seed yield (1.39 g/ha) was recorded with application of pendimethalin 38.7% CS at 1.0 kg/ha as pre-emergence (PE) + 1 hoeing at 30-35 DAS and remained at par with pendimethalin (1.0 kg/ha) as PE + 1 HW at 25-30 DAS (1.36 g/ha) and oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC (0.25 kg/ha) as PE at 20 DAS + hoeing at 30-35 DAS (1.21 g/ha). Pre-application of pendimethalin 30% EC + imazethapyr 2% (Velor 32 at 1.0 kg/ha) significantly enhanced branching in chickpea but proved phytotoxic under south Gujarat conditions. One hand weeding was found inadequate for getting higher chickpea seed yield as weedy situation prevailing throughout the crop period caused 54.7% reduction in seed yield of chickpea.