Evaluation of Preemergent Herbicides for <i>Chloris virgata</i> Control in Mungbean

• Main Authors: Gulshan Mahajan, Bhagirath S. Chauhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-08-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: crop-toxicity; feather fingergrass; herbicide dose; pulses; seed number; weed biomass
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/10/8/1632

<i>Chloris virgata</i> is a problematic weed in mungbean crops due to its high seed production, resistance to glyphosate and high dispersal ability. Pot and field experiments were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to evaluate a range of preemergent (PRE) herbicides for <i>C. virgata</i> control in mungbean. In the field and pot studies, isoxaflutole 75 g ai ha⁻¹ caused crop injury, and in the field experiment, it reduced mungbean yield by 61% compared with the best treatment (pyroxasulfone 100 g ai ha⁻¹). In the field and pot experiments, dimethenamid-P 720 g ai ha⁻¹, pyroxasulfone 100 g ai ha⁻¹ and S-metolachlor 1400 g ai ha⁻¹ provided >88% control of <i>C. virgata</i> (for reduced biomass) and in the field experiment, these herbicides resulted in improved yield by 230%, 270% and 170%, respectively, compared with nontreated control (250 kg ha⁻¹). Similarly, pendimethalin 1000 g ai ha⁻¹ and trifluralin 600 g ai ha⁻¹ provided >89% control (biomass) of <i>C. virgata,</i> and in the field experiment, these resulted in improved yields of 230% and 160%, respectively, compared with the nontreated control. PRE herbicides such as diuron 750 g ai ha⁻¹, linuron 1100 g ai ha⁻¹, metribuzin 360 g ha⁻¹, terbuthylazine 750 g ai ha⁻¹, imazapic 48 g ai ha⁻¹ and imazethapyr 70 g ha⁻¹ although did not cause crop injury; however, these herbicides did not control <i>C. virgata</i>. Flumioxazin 90 g ai ha⁻¹ caused reduced biomass of <i>C. virgata</i> by 80% compared with the nontreated control, and in the field experiment, it resulted in improved yield by 140% compared with the nontreated control. This study suggests the potential use of herbicides, such as dimethenamid-P, pyroxasulfone and S-metolachlor in addition to pendimethalin and trifluralin, for <i>C. virgata</i> control in mungbean. Further studies are needed to determine the efficacy of dimethenamid-P, S-metolachlor and pyroxasulfone for controlling other troublesome weeds in mungbean.