Effect of crop residue and weed management on weed incidence, soil moisture and yield of chickpea

Chickpea is a major pulse crop which is grown and consumed by the Indian people. Due to poor weed competition ability of chickpea and very few weed management options, yield of chickpea is drastically reduced under vertisols. Therefore, the present study related to weed management and crop residues on weed incidence, yield attributing character and yield of chickpea was conducted at Research Farm of JNKVV, Jabalpur (MP), India. A field experiment was undertaken in split plot design with 3 replications and 4 weed-management treatment in main-plot and four crop residues as sub-plot. The main plot treatments were pendimethalin 38.7% CS at 1 kg/ha as pre plant incorporation (PPI), hand weeding at 30 days after sowing (DAS), hand hoeing at 30 DAS and weedy check. Four crop residues mulch (CRM) were, wheat straw (WSM), paddy straw (PSM) and soybean haulm (SHM) each at 5 t/ha and control where no mulch material was applied. Results revealed that imposition of hand weeding at 30 DAS recorded with least weeds with lesser weed biomass resulting in higher weed control efficiency (WCE). However, weedy check recorded maximum weed count and dry weight. Pendimethalin 1 kg/ha recorded lower weed prevalence and weed dry weight. It was similar to hand hoeing done at 30 DAS. Among applied CRM, PSM recorded lower weed density and dry weight with higher WCE and soil moisture at 30 DAS and was superior over control plots. Hand weeding at 30 DAS recorded with higher yield attributing traits viz, pods/plant, seed/pod and seed index resulted higher seed yield (1,604 and 1,731 kg/ha respectively in 2018–19 and 2019–20). It was at par with pendimethalin at 1 kg/ha. The lower yield attributes and yield was recorded in weedy check plots. Among CRM, spreading of PSM give more pods and seeds/pod with higher seed index resulted in higher seed yield (1515 and 1593 kg/ha in 2018–19 and 2019–20 respectively) over others. Thus, application of PSM at 5 t/ha with one hand weeding at 30 DAS or with pendimethalin can be suggested for significant weed control and higher seed yield in chickpea.