Productivity and Economics of Summer Moong Bean (Vigna radiata L.) as Influenced by Pre- and Post-Emergence Herbicides

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at the Crop Research Centre, School of Agriculture, ITM University, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, during the summer season of 2025 to assess the influence of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on summer moong bean (Vigna radiata L.) variety PDM 139 (Samrat). The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design with ten treatments and three replications. The treatments included weed-free and weedy-check plots, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin alone, pendimethalin tank mixtures with imazethapyr at different doses, and post-emergence application of quizalofop-p-ethyl and imazethapyr + imazamox at different doses. Weed-free conditions recorded the highest plant height, branches plant⁻¹, dry matter accumulation, pod length, pods plant⁻¹, grains pod⁻¹ and grain yield. Among herbicidal treatments, imazethapyr 35% WG + imazamox 35% WG at 75 g ha⁻¹ as post-emergence recorded better crop growth and yield attributes, with grain yield of 1052.68 kg ha⁻¹ and biological yield of 3112.65 kg ha⁻¹. The highest weed control efficiency among herbicidal treatments was obtained with imazethapyr + imazamox at 100 g ha⁻¹, but slight phytotoxicity was observed at this dose. The maximum benefit-cost ratio of 2.41 was recorded with imazethapyr + imazamox at 75 g ha⁻¹. The findings indicate that this treatment improved productivity and profitability under the experimental conditions.