TOLERANCE OF CHICKPEA (CICER ARIETINUM L.) CULTIVARS TO THE MAJOR CHICKPEA HERBICIDES

Growing chickpea in sustainable systems requires the use and development of more adaptable genotypes which can adjust to the package of technology in vogue. Legumes are poor competitors with weeds. Hence repeated experiments were undertaken for quantifying the tolerance of chickpea cultivars with pre emergence herbicide pendimethalin 330E and post emergence herbicide fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 75 EW each at four doses. The chickpea varieties tested for tolerance were KC-98, Sheenghar, Lawaghir, KK-1, KK-2, SL-01-13, SL-02-13, SL-02-20, SL-02-22, SL-02-29, SL-03-29 and SL-04-29. Data were recorded on fresh and dry biomass of the germplasm. Sheenghar variety produced the best fresh weight (13.7 g) followed by KC-98, Lawaghir and KK-1 (13.1, 12.24 and 13.0 g), respectively. Average effects of both the herbicides i.e. fenoxaprop-p-ethyl and pendimethalin were same on fresh biomass (11.37 and 11.39 kg ha(-1)), respectively. Untreated and 1/2x dose produced statistically similar results for fresh biomass (12.53 and 12.8 kg ha(-1)) respectively. While minimum fresh biomass was recorded at 1 1/2X dose (8.8). 1X dose produced intermediate fresh weight (11.3). For dry biomass untreated check produced maximum (3.45 g) followed by 1/2x dose (3.40 g) while, 1 1/2X dose of either herbicide produced very low dry biomass (1.84 g). It is thus, concluded from the data that among the tested cultivars Sheenghar, Lawaghir, KC-98 and KK-1 and KK-2 have a reasonable tolerance to the two herbicides and these herbicides could be used at 1/2 and 1X doses without any adverse effect on the tested cultivars.