Effect of weed management practices on productivity of blackgram

Beneficial effect due to integrated weed management treatment i. e. pendimethalin pre-emergence 1000 g a.i./ha+1 H 30 DAS (T(7)) was observed on growth and yield attributes of blackgram. The straw and biological yield (20.28 and 27.86 q/ha, respectively) of blackgram was maximum in Pen PRE + 1 H treatment followed by cultural treatment one hoeing at 15 DAS and 1 HW at 30 DAS (T(13)) recorded (19.44 and 27.30 q/ha, respectively), but in case of grain yield cultural treatment 1 H+1 HW recorded maximum (7.86 q/ha) followed by Pen PRE+1 H at 30 DAS (7.58 q/ha). Weed control efficiency and dry matter per plant at harvest were significantly higher in cultural treatment (T(13)) and integrated weed control treatment (T(7)). This is attributed to efficient and prolonged weed control by weedicide as well as cultural treatment (T(13)) for control of late emerging weeds. Maximum net monetary returns were obtained due to one hoeing at 15 DAS and one hand weeding at 30 DAS (Rs. 20777/ha) with benefit : cost ratio 2.60, followed by Pen PRE+1 H at 30 DAS; but in case of gross monetary returns (Rs./ha) treatments T(13) and T(7) recorded at par with each other but both were significantly superior over other treatments tested.