Yield and Economics of Onion as Influenced by Pre and Post Emergence Herbicdes

Abstract

Onion (Allium cepa L.) weed interference lowers bulb yield and financial return for onion growers who pay for labour. During the Rabi seasons of 2011–12 and 2012–13, a field experiment was worked out at the Horticultural College and Research Institute, Dr.Y.S.R Horticultural University, Venkataramanagudem, Tadepalligudem, West Godavari District, A.P to examine the effects of pre and post emergence herbicides on the economics of onion cv.N–53. Ten pre- and post-emergence herbicide treatments (Pendimethalin, Oxyflourfen, Imazethapyr, and Quizalofopethyle) and their combinations, reproduced in a random block design, made up the experiment. Significantly, T9 (weed free-hand weeding at 30, 60, and 90 DAT) outperformed the other treatments in terms of gross and net returns, which was followed by T8 (Oxyfluorfen 0.125 kg a.i as PE + Quizalofopethyl @ 75g a.i per hectareas POE) and T6 (Pendimethalin 0.75 kg a.i as PE + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 a.iper hectare). When compared to T6 (Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.iper hectare as PE + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.iper hectare as POE), T8 (Oxyfluorfen @ 0.125 kg a.iper hectareas PE + Quizalofop ethyl @ 75 g a.iper hectare as POE) had a considerably greater B:C ratio. Hand weeding made farming more expensive. This suggested that chemical weed treatment was used to obtain the most profit per acre.