EFFECTS OF EXPIRED, NON-EXPIRED PENDIMETHALIN AND HAND WEEDING ON THE BIO- PRODUCTIVITY AND SEED QUALITY OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.)
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Date
2023-02-20
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Abstract
The use of expired herbicides to suppress weeds growth is becoming prevalent among farmers. Hence the need to investigate and compare the effect of expired and non-expired pendimethalin and hand weeding on weed suppression, growth, yield and composition of groundnut. The experiment was carried to investigate seven weed treatments during the rainy season in 2020. These were sole pendimethalin non-expired at 0.75 kg ai/ha (T1), pendimethalin non-expired at 0.75 kg ai/ha + one hand weeding at 6 weeks after sowing (T2), pendimethalin expired at 0.75 kg ai/ha (T3), pendimethalin expired at 0.75 kg ai/ha + one hand weeding at 6 WAS (T4), two hand weeding at 3 and 6 WAS (T5), weed free check (T6) and weedy check (T7). Desmodium trifolium, Amaranthus spinosus and Commelina benghalensis were the most preponderant weed species. Both expired or non-expired pendimethalin and their integration with one hand weeding reduced weed population than other treatments. Pendimethalin nonexpired + one hand weeding at 6WAS and two hand weeding at 3 and 6 WAS significantly increased the growth parameters and yield when compared with other treatments. There was marked increase in protein, fat and ash contents of the seeds in all the weed control treatments than the weedy check. Also, the mineral elements (Fe, Ca, K and N) with the exception of zinc (Zn) were significantly higher in weed control treatments compared with the weedy check. The study established in spite of positive influence of all weed control treatments on seed quality, two hand weeding at 3 and 6 WAS and non-expired pendimethalin + one hand weeding 6 WAS, should be reinforced for weed control and the use of expired pendimethalin should be discouraged