Effect of herbicides in weed management on pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L) R. Br. emend Stuntz)

The comparative effectiveness of pre-emergence herbicides atrazine and tembotrione, applied singly and in combination with hand weeding, was tested in field experiments on pearl millet conducted under rainfed conditions during 2023. Using herbicides and hand weeding significantly reduced weed density and dry weight. However, plant mortality occurred in pearl millet when treated with either tembotrione or atrazine at 1.0 kg a.i./ha or 0.5 kg a.i./ha combined. In contrast to the unweeded control, the pre-emergence application of atrazine at 0.5 kg a.i./ha, combined with hand weeding 30 days after planting, provided effective weed control.