DOI: 10.36347/sjavs.2015.v02i01.014

Pages: 79-83

A field trial was conducted in Instructional farm, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Angul of Odisha during kharif seasons of 2013 and 2014 to study weed growth, yield components, economics and nutrient uptake in maize as influenced by various herbicide applications under rainfed condition. The experiment comprised of seven treatments viz. T1-Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 fb1 HW at 30 DAS, T2-pendimethalin 1.5 kg ha-1 fb 1 HW at 30 DAS, T3-atrazine 0.75 kg ha-1 fb 1 HW at 30 DAS, T4-atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 fb 1 HW at 30 DAS, T5- atrazine 1.5 kg ha-1 fb 1 HW at 30 DAS , T6-farmers practice of 2 hand weeding at 20 & 40 DAS and T7-weedy check in randomized block design with three replications. The minimum weed index (9.12 %) was obtained in application of atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 fb one hand weeding at 30 DAS with curtailed removal of N, P and K by weeds to the tune of 87.5, 91.2 and 87.1 %, respectively over that of weedy check where as maximum uptake by maize was observed in farmers practice 164.01 kg N, 39.45 kg P and 165.17 kg K ha-1 respectively . Farmers practices recorded maximum cob length (15.27 cm), cob weight(130.24 g ), number of grains cob-1 (433.90) and weed control efficiency (80.87 %) with significantly reduced in both weed density (20.16 m-2) and weed dry weight(27.05 g m-2) at 60 DAS. The same treatment also recorded maximum gross return (Rs.59126 ha-1) and B:C ratio(1.91) with additional net return of Rs.21690 ha-1 as compared to weedy check Maximum weed density m-2 at 60 DAS(173.34) and weed dry biomass(141.41 gm-2) was found in weedy check . Hence, farmers practice was found to be effective in case easy availability of labours where as in case of non availability of laborers, application of atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 fb one hand weeding at 30 DAS was found economically viable for weed control with better nutrient uptake , higher grain yield and net profit.