Weed Control Measures in Greengram – a Review

Greengram is the third most important pulse crop in India. Weeds are a major limiting factor in production of greengram that lead to a drastic reduction in yield. Weed management is very important in successful cultivation of greengram. Due to its slow growth during early stages, weeds grow abundantly and interfere with the crop for uptake of water and nutrients. They also limit the availability of light and space for the crop. Weeds mature earlier than the crop and shed their seeds in soil, thereby, increasing weed seed bank in the soil. Naturally more hardy and competitive, they cause significant yield losses if not controlled properly. Weed infestation is one of the major constraints in greengram cultivation and causes 50 to 90% yield loss. Yield losses in crops due to weeds depend on several factors such as weed emergence time, weed density, type of weeds, and crops, etc. Among the various factors responsible for poor yield in greengram is an inadequate weed control measure. Weeds have to be controlled for successful crop production. Significant crop losses due to weeds are simply not acceptable in a world where two billions more people will have to be fed in the next 40 years. The traditional practice of hand weeding requires dependence on the increased number of labor during the peak period of sowing and harvesting and becoming expensive. However weeding through implements i.e., the mechanical way is economical and time saving; it is not satisfactory in a broadcast or mixed cropped area. For effective and timely weed control in crop plants use of herbicides with proper liable techniques has become a common practice. While herbicide application initially inhibits soil microflora, populations rebound with the passage of time due to degradation of herbicides. Integration of herbicides with HW generally provides efficient weed control without any negative influence on symbiosis, growth, yield and nutrient uptake of greengram. Based on the resource available to have to adopt the best suitable weed control strategies like cultural control, mechanical methods, herbicide adoption, and integrated approaches will significantly decrease the weeds, which will lead to even greater yields. Finally, integrated weed management is the key to sustainable crop production throughout the world and will remain the mainstay for weed control for the foreseeable future.