WEED MANAGEMENT IN PIGEONPEA UNDER RAIN-FED CONDITIONS IN INDIA

The mean yield data of 30 experiments conducted over large parts of India during 1982-88 revealed that efficient weed management was one of the most important production inputs in pigeonpea cultivation. The relative improvements from weed management were 31% as against 5% due to fertilizer use (18-46-0). Weed control combined with fertilizer use exhibited synergistic effects in some conditions. Further studies at Kanpur during 1986-88 revealed that monocot (narrow-leaved) weeds caused greatest potential damage, closely followed by sedges. Dicot weeds were least harmful. A study on the relative efficacy of different herbicides in a pigeonpea/sorghum intercropping system showed that pendimethalin 1.5 kg/ha as pre-emergence spray was the most effective herbicide followed by alachlor at 2 kg/ha or 0 75 kg/ha pendimethalin + one hand-weeding at 30 days after sowing.