Effect of planting techniques and weed management practices on yield and economics of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.)

The field experiment was conducted to study the effect of planting techniques and weed management practices on yield and economics of finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.). The experiment was carried out at the instructional farm of Dr. Sharadchandra Pawar College of Agriculture, Baramati, Maharashtra, India during kharif season of 2024-25 with 4 planting techniques (direct seeding at 30 × 10 cm and 30 × 10 cm and transplanting at 30 × 10 cm and 30 × 10 cm) and 5 weed management practices (PE application Oxyfluorfen fb hand weeding at 40 DAS/DAT, PoE application of Bispyribac sodium fb hand weeding at 40 DAS/DAT, Two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS/DAT, Weed free check, Weedy check). Results revealed that among planting techniques transplanting at 30 × 30 cm to finger millet recorded significantly highest number of earheads plant-1 (7.15), number of fingers earhead-1 (8.66), grain weight plant-1 (44.24 g) test weight (5.71 g), grain yield (23.51 q ha⁻¹), straw yield (49.00 q ha⁻¹) and biological yield (72.50 q ha⁻¹) with a harvest index of 32.29%. In economic studies transplanting at 30 × 30 cm gross returns of ₹1,22,542.79 ha⁻¹, net returns of ₹57,806.33 ha⁻¹ and a B:C ratio of 1.88. Among weed management practices result revealed that weed free check recorded higher number of earheads plant-1 (4.84), number of fingers earhead-1 (8.51), grain weight plant-1 (36.63 g) test weight (5.77 g), grain yield (24.11q ha⁻¹), straw yield (48.81 q ha⁻¹), biological yield (72.92 q ha⁻¹) and harvest index of 33.03%, this treatment was at par with two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS/ DAT. However, highest net returns (₹55344.14 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.90) was recorded in treatment pre-emergence application of Oxyfluorfen 23.5% EC at 80 g ha-1 fb one hand weeding at 40 DAS/ DAT.