Evaluating the impact of pre- and post-emergence herbicides on weed dynamics and sustainable Maize cultivation practices

Weed management is essential for sustainable maize cultivation, as unchecked weed growth can substantially reduce crop yields by competing for nutrients, water and sunlight. Herbicide treatments provide a more effective alternative to labor-intensive, frequently unfeasible manual weeding techniques for large-scale operations. A field trial was conducted in Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab during the Kharif season of 2024 to evaluate several herbicide combinations on maize. The experiment followed a randomized block design containing 11 treatments and 3 replications. The predominant weed species identified throughout the study were Eleusine indica, Digera arvensis, Cyperus rotundus, Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Cyperus compressus. Hand weeding at 20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS) yielded the most effective weed control, significantly decreasing weed density and biomass. The combined application of Atrazine (1000 g ha-1) and Tembotrione (120 g a.i. ha-1) shown the greatest chemical control efficacy, reducing Eleusine indica density to 16.07 m², Digera arvensis to 19.17 m² and Cyperus rotundus to 30.02 m². This combination demonstrated the highest weed control efficiency (WCE), attaining 77.90 % for Eleusine indica, 84.10 % for Digera arvensis and 81.00 % for Cyperus rotundus. The combination of Atrazine and Tembotrione produced maximum maize growth, resulting in the tallest plants (175.8 cm), the highest leaf number (12.00 leaves plant-1), the largest leaf area (458.38 cm²) and the thickest stem diameter (7.26 cm). The chlorophyll index (SPAD) reached its highest in this treatment (44.8), indicating increased photosynthetic efficiency. Atrazine (1000 g ha-1) combined with Tembotrione (120 g a.i. ha-1) identified as the most effective herbicide treatment for weed suppression while enhancing maize development, providing an effective substitute for labor-intensive manual weeding.