Optimizing cotton production through efficient weed management using herbicides: A promising solution for labour-scarce farming

Cotton, often referred to as ‘White gold’ and the ‘King of fibre crops’ holds a significant position as a cash and fibre crop in India. Weeds contribute to approximately 45 % yield reduction in cotton cultivation at the national lev?el, making weed management a critical factor in determining cotton productivity, particularly in high-density planting systems (HDPS). Effective weed control optimizes resource allocation, leading to improved growth parameters and higher yields. This study investigates the efficacy of various weed management practices, including pre-emergence and post-emergent herbicide applications, in enhancing cotton yield under HDPS. The results clearly demonstrate that a combination of PE Pendimethalin (1.0 kg a.i./ha), Metolachlor (1.0 kg a.i./ha), POE Pyrithiobac sodium (0.075 kg a.i./ha), and Quizalofop ethyl (0.075 kg a.i./ha) led to significantly greater plant height (113.4 cm) and dry matter production (7609 kg ha-1 ) . This treatment also resulted insignificantly improved yield parameters, with a higher seed cotton yield of 2098 kg ha-1 , and yielded higher net returns of Rs.141961 ha-1 and a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 3.09. In the face of increasing labour scarcity, these herbicide-based weed management practices offer a viable solution for maximizing cotton productivity under HDPS. This approach supports the rapid expansion of cotton acreage in the current era of farm mechanization.