Evaluation of Integrated Weed Management Strategies for Enhancing Soybean Yield and Profitability

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2025 on clayey soil at the Agronomy Farm, Department of Agronomy, School of Agricultural Sciences, G.H. Raisoni University, Saikheda, Pandhurna, Madhya Pradesh, to assess the effects of integrated weed management practices on soybean growth, yield and economics. The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design (RBD) with seven treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised T₁: control (no weeding); T₂: hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS; T₃: pendimethalin 30% EC (PE) @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹; T₄: imazethapyr 10% SL (POE) @ 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹ at 20 DAS; T₅: pendimethalin 30% EC (PE) @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ + one hand weeding at 30 DAS; T₆: straw mulching after sowing; and T₇: pendimethalin 30% EC (PE) @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ + imazethapyr 10% SL (POE) @ 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹. The predominant weed flora observed in the experimental field included Parthenium hysterophorus, Euphorbia hirta, Digera arvensis and Lagasca mollis among broad-leaved weeds; Cynodon dactylon, Echinochloa crus-galli, Eragrostis major, Poa annua and Sorghum halepense among grasses; and Cyperus rotundus among sedges. Other weed species were present at relatively lower densities. Among the different weed management treatments, T₇, comprising pendimethalin 30% EC (PE) @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ + imazethapyr 10% SL (POE) @ 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹, recorded superior soybean growth and yield attributes. The treatment resulted in a plant height of 46.25 cm, 5.55 branches plant⁻¹, 40.68 pods plant⁻¹ and a grain weight of 6.48 g. The same treatment also recorded the highest grain yield (13.65 q ha⁻¹) and stover yield (25.80 q ha⁻¹). In terms of economic returns, T₇ recorded the highest gross returns (₹34,013 ha⁻¹), net returns (₹18,246 ha⁻¹) and benefit-cost ratio (2.15). The superior performance of this treatment may be attributed to effective suppression of the predominant weed flora, which reduced weed competition and facilitated better utilisation of available nutrients, moisture and other growth resources by the soybean crop. Based on the findings of the experiment, the application of pendimethalin 30% EC (PE) @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha⁻¹ followed by imazethapyr 10% SL (POE) @ 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹ (T₇) proved to be the most effective treatment for improving growth, yield attributes, grain and stover yields, and economic returns of soybean under the clayey soil conditions of the experimental site.