Summary
This three-year field experiment evaluated sequential herbicide applications for weed management in conservation agriculture soybean on Vertisols in Central India. Sequential application of glyphosate and pendimethalin as pre-emergence followed by imazethapyr as post-emergence proved most economically effective, with grain yield strongly negatively correlated with weed density (r = −0.84) and weed index (r = −0.96). The study demonstrates that effective weed control under conservation agriculture depends on optimised herbicide sequencing and nutrient management, with nitrogen and phosphorus uptake in grain identified as key yield predictors.
UK applicability
The herbicide products and sequencing strategies evaluated may have limited direct applicability to UK temperate conditions, which differ substantially in climate, soil type (the study focused on Vertisols), and weed flora. However, the methodological approach to quantifying weed–yield relationships and nutrient dynamics under conservation agriculture may inform UK research on similar systems, particularly in understanding how weed pressure affects nutrient cycling.
Key measures
Grain yield, plant growth parameters, crop biomass, seed yield, weed index, weed density at harvest, weed dry biomass, weed control efficiency, nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium uptake in grain and weeds, Pearson correlation coefficients, linear and multiple regression models (R² values)
Outcomes reported
The study measured crop productivity, plant growth parameters, crop biomass, seed yield, weed density, weed dry biomass, weed control efficiency, and nutrient uptake (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) in grain and weeds across a three-year field trial. Regression analyses quantified relationships between grain yield and weed dynamics, as well as nutrient uptake patterns.
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