Comparative analysis of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on weed suppression and yield enhancement in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)

Pearl millet is the most widely grown drought-tolerant coarse nutricereal grown in the harshest semi-arid regions. Its cultivation is declining due to low productivity and susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses because its early growth and wide spacing make it vulnerable to weeds. This research aims to find the effect of different weed management practices in pearl millet on its growth and productivity. It was conducted at the Eastern Block farm, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), in the summer 2024 where eight treatments were plotted in a randomized block design (RBD) with three replications and treatment consisting of seven different combinations of weed management practices (T1 to T7) along with a control treatment (T8) having no weed control practices. Results show that lower weed density, weed dry matter production and higher grain yield was observed in hand weeding twice at 15 and 25 days after sowing (DAS) which is significantly on par with the pre-emergence application of Atrazine 50 % WP at 0.25 kg a.i. ha-1 fb hand weeding at 25 DAS. Higher N, P and K uptake at harvest was observed with same trend. Grain yield showed a significant negative and positive correlation with weed biomass and dry matter production respectively. The results of the field experiment concluded that hand-weeding twice at 15 DAS and 25 DAS has the same effect as the pre-emergence application of Atrazine 50 % WP at 0.25 kg a.i/ha combined with one hand weeding at 25 DAS effectively controls weeds and maximizes growth and productivity under rainfed conditions.