Author(s): S. R. SNEHA, S. K. RAJ, D. JACOB, P. S. PILLAI AND G.V. KAVITHA

Abstract: Soil organic carbon content and enzyme activity in soil are considered as the bio-indicators of soil fertility and soil health. Hence, to assess the impact of weed management practices on soil organic carbon content (SOC), dehydrogenase and urease enzyme activity in finger millet, a field experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design during summer season 2021 at Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuram with 12 treatments and three replications. Compared to un-weeded check, weed management resulted in significantly higher SOC, dehydrogenase and urease enzyme activity were recorded in weed management treatments indicating that the tested pre-emergence (PE) herbicides, pyrazosulfuron ethyl, bensulfuron ethyl + pretilachlor and oxyfluorfen, and the post emergence herbicides, bispyribac sodium and penoxsulam + cyhalofop butyl did not cause any inhibitory effect on soil biological indicators. Among the treatments, PE fb wheel hoe weeding (WHW) or penoxsulam + cyhalofop butyl 125 g ha^-1 at 25 DAS resulted in higher SOC, dehydrogenase and urease enzyme activity compared to other treatments under study. Weed management treatments also had significant effect on weed biomass. At 40 DAS, hand weeding twice at 15 and 30 DAS recorded the lowest weed biomass (0.97 g m^-1); whereas at 60 DAS, PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl fb WHW at 25 DAS recorded the lowest weed biomass (32.40 g m-2). Weed control efficiency also followed the same trend.

DOI: 10.22271/09746315.2024.v20.i1.1767

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