Economic sustainability and energy efficiency of irrigated urdbean [Vigna mungo] under different sowing methods and weed management practices

A field experiment was conducted at the Pulse Farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India, during the summer season of 2024 to evaluate the energetics and economic viability of summer irrigated urdbean (Vigna mungo) under different sowing and weed management methods. A split-plot design was employed and treatments were replicated thrice. The results indicated that sowing in Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) and weed management through pre-emergence application of herbicides, followed by mechanical weeding (baby weeder) at 20 days after sowing (DAS), produced the highest yields of 833 kg/ha and 850 kg/ha, respectively. In terms of energy productivity, sowing in FIRB with the weed-free plot achieved 0.63 kg/MJ, followed by the same method of planting with the pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by one-hand weeding at 20 DAS (0.57 kg/MJ). A similar trend was observed in energy use efficiency, with values of 9.22 and 8.35, respectively. Economically, urdbean sowing by seed drill and pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by mechanical weeding at 20 DAS resulted in the highest benefit-cost ratio of 2.01, followed by the sowing in FIRB with the pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by mechanical weeding at 20 DAS. Hence, the study concluded that sowing in furrow irrigated raised beds with weed management through hand weeding and mechanical weeding at 20 DAS provides higher energy use efficiency and economic sustainability.