Impact of Weed Control Efficiency of Herbicides on Yield and Economic Returns of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The field experiment was carried out to investigate the impact of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on chickpea growth and yield. Three replications were set up in RCBD with eleven treatments including: Intercultivation at 20 and 40 DAS, weed free check and weedy check along with two pre-emergence herbicides (Pendimethalin, Pendimethalin + Imazethapyr) and five post-emergence herbicides (Imazethapyr + Imazamox, Propaquizafop + Imazethapyr, Imazethapyr, Quizalofop ethyl and Aciflor + Clodinafop]. Among the herbicidal treatments, application of Pendimethalin 38.7 % CS @ 800 g a.i./ha as PE fb Propaquizafop 2.5 % + Imazethapyr 3.75% W/W ME (RM) @ 125 g a.i./ha as PoE at 25 DAS recorded significantly higher weed control efficiency (84.98%). In terms of yield economics the same treatment recorded higher yield attributes viz., higher number of pods per plant (49.09), higher weight of 100 seeds (24.86 g), higher seed yield per plant (21.37 g) and also recorded higher grain yield (2197 kg/ha), haulm yield (2766 kg/ha), net returns (₹ 80621/ha) and B:C ratio (3.01) compared to the other herbicidal treatments and was on par with the weed free check which was recorded higher results in all the above parameters but encountered with higher cost of cultivation. However, weedy check recorded lowest number of pods per plant (38.18), lower weight of 100 seeds (22.36 g) and lower Seed yield per plant (16.96 g) due to higher weed competition and resulted in lower yield and less returns.