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GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF AUTUMN PLANTED MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) AND ITS WEEDS TO REDUCED DOSES OF HERBICIDE APPLICATION IN COMBINATION WITH UREA

M.A. NADEEM¹, R. AHMAD¹, M. KHALID²*, M. NAVEED², A. TANVEER¹ AND J.N. AHMAD³

Abstract: A field experiment was conducted to assess the growth and yield response of autumn planted maize and its weeds to application of a new post-emergence herbicide Equip (foramsulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl) alone and in combination with urea. The experiment comprised weedy check, manual weed control, foramsulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl @ 1125 g a.i. ha-1 alone, foramsulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl @ 1125, 1012 and 900 g a.i. ha-1 with 3% urea solution. Result revealed that application of full dose of herbicide in combination with urea gives better result than the use of full dose of herbicide alone. Weeds density and total weed dry weight 20, 40 days after spraying (DAS) and at harvest decreased significantly when foramusulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl along with urea as adjuvant at 1125 g a.i. ha-1 was applied compared to application of herbicide alone at 1125 g a.i. ha-1. Full dose of herbicide foramsulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl at 1125 g a.i. ha-1 alone showed statistically similar results as reducing dose of herbicide foramsulfuron + isoxadifen-ethyl at 1012 g a.i. ha-1 + 3% urea in reducing weeds density, dry weight and increasing yield of maize. The study revealed that the herbicide dose can be reduced up to 10-12% if urea solution was used as adjuvant to obtain the same efficiency as with full dose without compromising on maize yield.

¹Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-38040, Pakistan
²Institute of Soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad
³Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture Faisalabad- 380340, Pakistan