Sustainable weed management in foxtail millet

A study to evaluate the effect of different weed management strategies on growth and yield of foxtail millet was conducted at the Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara from January to April, 2024. The experiment followed Randomized Block Design (RBD) with eight treatments and three replications. The treatments included, T1- stale seedbed technique, T2- straw mulching in the interspaces, T3- pre-emergence application of oxyfluorfen @0.10 kgha-1 (at 0-3 DAS) followed by hand weeding at 25-30 DAS, T4- pre-emergence application of pretilachlor 30% + pyrazosulfuron ethyl 0.75% WG (premix) @ 0.10 kg ha-1 (at 0-3 DAS) followed by hand weeding at 25-30 DAS, T5- live mulching with green gram, T6- brown manuring with green gram, T7- hand weeding at 25 and 45 DAS, T8- unweeded control. Results showed that highest grain yield in foxtail millet (3.26 kg plot-1) was realized in hand weeding at 25 and 45 DAS. Though hand weeding twice was better in terms of yield, the treatment brown manuring with green gram was found to be economically viable in foxtail millet. Herbicides applied treatments caused phytotoxicity to crop which resulted in poor germination and thereby poor crop stand, leading to very low grain yield comparable to unweeded control.