SCREENING OF POST-EMERGENCE HERBICIDES IN CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM) UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS OF JAMMU

An experiment was conducted in randomized block design with twelve treatments replicated thrice during the rabi seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10 in Inceptisols. The objective of the experiment was to study the effect of different post emergence (POE) herbicides to manage weeds in chickpea variety GNG 469 along with hand weeding (HW) at 25-30 and 50-55 days after sowing (DAS) and weedy check. Higher seed yield and yield attributes were obtained with 2 HW at 25-30 and 50-55 DAS and it was statistically at par with the POE application of imazathypr 40 & 25 g/ha at 30 DAS. Post emergence application of Quizalofop-ethyl @ 50 & 40 g/ha at 20 and 30 DAS also obtained significant values of yield and yield attributes which were superior to weedy check but the values were not at par with imazathypr treatment. Higher values of weed control efficiency (WCE) at 70 DAS (94.3 %) and at harvest (87.2 %) and minimum values of weed biomass (6.54 and 7.04 g/m(2) at 70 DAS and at harvest) were recorded with 2 HW at 25-30 and 50-55 DAS followed by POE application of imazathypr 40 and 25 g/ha at 30 DAS. The lowest values of yield and yield attributes and higher values of weed biomass were obtained with weedy check both at 70 DAS and at harvest.