WEED-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON WEED GROWTH AND YIELD OF GROUNDNUT (ARACHIS-HYPOGAEA)

An experiment was conducted during 1991-93 to study influence of weed- control treatments, vir. fluchloralin (1.0 kg ai/ha), pendimethalin (1 .0 kg ai/ha)., thiobencarb (0.75 kg ai/ha), butachlor (0.75 kg ai/ha), metolachlor (1.0 kg ai/ha), with and without hand-weeding (HW) at day s after sowing (30 DAS), hand-weeding twice at 15 and 30 DAS and a con trol (no weeding), on weed growth and yield of irrigated groundnut (Ar achis hypogaea L.). The experiment was conducted in randomized block d esign with 3 replications. Among the treatments tested, weed dry weigh t was reduced and weed-control efficiency increased due to adoption of metolachlor + hand-weeding at 30 DAS. This combination promoted pod y ield increase in addition to benefiting monetary returns.