Physiological Response and Weed Control Efficiency of Pre and Post-Emergence Herbicides in Bengal Gram (Cicer arietinum L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi 2024–25 season at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Lam Farm, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India, to evaluate the physiological response, weed control efficiency, yield, and economic performance of Bengal gram (*Cicer arietinum* L.) under different weed management practices. Ten treatments, comprising hand weeding, pre- and post-emergence herbicides, and an untreated control, were arranged in a randomised block design with three replications. Weed management significantly influenced plant height, chlorophyll content, pods per plant, grain yield, weed density, weed biomass, phytotoxicity, and economic returns. Hand weeding at 20 and 40 days after sowing produced the highest grain yield (1,428.8 kg ha⁻¹), 26.6 pods per plant, and complete weed control at 30 days after sowing. Among the herbicidal treatments, post-emergence application of imazethapyr at 25 g a.i. ha⁻¹ produced the highest grain yield (1,043.8 kg ha⁻¹), net return (₹10,508.9 ha⁻¹), and benefit–cost ratio (1.40). Oxyfluorfen at 0.2 kg ha⁻¹ provided effective residual weed suppression, whereas imazethapyr at 40 g a.i. ha⁻¹ achieved the highest early-stage weed control efficiency among the herbicides. Chlorimuron ethyl caused severe and persistent phytotoxicity, resulting in complete yield loss, while pyrithiobac produced poor crop performance and negative returns. Hand weeding was the most effective agronomic treatment, whereas imazethapyr at 25 g a.i. ha⁻¹ was the most practical and economically viable herbicidal option under the study conditions.