Imazethapyr, Ipomoea, Pendimethalin, Pyroxasulfone, Sunn hemp, Weed management

Morning glories (Ipomoea spp.), whether annual or perennial, are aggressive broad-leaved weeds that frequently infest many Kharif season crops including sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea L.). Ipomoea spp. competes with the sunn hemp for light, nutrients, and moisture but also complicate harvesting operations, ultimately lowering seed yields, if they are not controlled. A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 at Regional Research Station, Kapurthala of Punjab Agricultural University with an objective to evaluate the efficacy of different herbicides to manage Ipomoea spp. in sunn hemp. A randomized complete block design with three replications was used. The pre-emergence application (PE) of pendimethalin 750-900 g/ha + imazethapyr 75 g/ha (tank-mix) or   imazethapyr + pendimethalin 800 g/ha (pre-mix) recorded higher control efficiency (70-81%) of Ipomoea spp. with 83.2-93.5% higher seed yield over the weedy check in sunn hemp seed crop. These two treatments effectively controlled the Ipomoea spp. and other weeds at the establishment stage, gave satisfactory weed control and improved sunn hemp seed productivity.