RAKESH CHOUDHARY*, MAMTA NEHRA, RAMESH AND MANISH KUMAR
Agriculture Research Station,
Mandor Agriculture University, Jodhpur-342 304 (Rajasthan), India
*(e-mail : rakeshnitharwal9@gmail.com)
(Received : 26 March 2022; Accepted : 21 June 2022)
SUMMARY
A field experiment was conducted at research farm of Agricultural Research Station, Mandor
(Jodhpur) during kharif 2018 and 2019. During the study, three date of sowing viz. 1st April, 1st July and 1st August and five weed control practices viz. weedy check, twice hoeing at 15 and 30 days after sowing (DAS), application of atrazine @ 400 g a.i. /ha at 15 DAS, one hoeing through tractor operated weeder at 20 DAS and application of atrazine (PE) @ 500 g a.i. /ha one hoeing through tractor operated weeder at 30 DAS were taken into consideration to evaluate the effect on productivity and profitability of pearl millet. Results indicated that significantly higher plant height (155.6 cm), stem diameter (1.28 cm), leaf area index at 40 DAS (3.61) & 60 DAS (5.62), dry matter at 30 DAS (59.0 g/m2) 60 DAS (425.3 g/m2) and at harvest (641.5 g/m2), effective tillers (1.90/plant), grain yield (2198 kg/ha), stover yield (4216 kg/ha) and productivity (26.5 kg/day) were obtained with sowing at 1st July as compared to sowing on 1st August however, it was statistically at par with sowing at 1st April. In contrast, Maximum net returns (Rs. 59955/ha), B:C ratio (3.63) and profitability (Rs. 722/day) were obtained with sowing 1st July. The maximum grain yield (2432 kg/ha) and stover yield (4496 kg/ha)
was recorded with application of atrazine (PE) @ 500 g a.i. /ha + one hoeing through tractor operated weeder at 30 DAS, which was statistically at par with twice hoeing at 15 and 30 days after sowing over weedy check. Application of atrazine (PE) @ 500 g a.i. /ha + one hoeing through tractor operated weeder at 30 DAS followed by application of Atrazine @ 400 g a.i. /ha at 15 DAS was obtained maximum net returns (Rs. 66443/ha), B:C ratio (3.85) and profitability (Rs. 837/day).
Key words: Pearl millet, productivity, profitability, tractor operated weeder, weed control efficiency