EVALUATION OF OXYFLOURFEN AND PENDIMETHALIN FOR WEED CONTROL IN GROUNDNUTS (ARACHIS HYPOGAEA L.) UNDER RAINDFED CONDITIONS ON SANDY SOIL OF NORTH KORDOFAN, SUDAN

الملخص

An experiment was carried out under rain-fed conditions during 2020/21 - 2021/22 cropping seasons on sandy soil at Elobeid Research Station Farm to evaluate the efficacy and selectivity of oxyflourfen and pendimethalin for pre-emergence weed control in groundnuts. Oxyflourfen was applied at 0.096, 0.12, and 0.144 kg active ingredient (a.i). /fed and pendimethalin at 0.65, 0.70, and 0.75 kg a.i/fed.  Some herbicide-treated plots received supplementary hand weeding at 4 weeks after sowing. Weeded and un-weeded treatments were included for comparison. In both seasons, oxyflourfen at 0.12 - 0.144 Kg a.i. /fed, without supplementary weeding displayed excellent (83 - 100%) and satisfactory to excellent (67 - 85%) control of grassy weeds early and late in the season, respectively. Moreover, the same rates resulted in excellent (87 - 94%) and good to excellent (78-84%) control of broadleaved weeds early and late in the season, respectively. Pendimethalin, without supplementary weeding, at the rate of 0.70 kg a.i/fed, resulted in good (77-79%) and satisfactory to excellent (63-87%) control of grasses early and late in the season, respectively. However, pendimethalin at the same rate resulted in good to excellent (79 - 85%) and satisfactory to excellent (60-81%) control of broadleaved weeds early and late in the season compared to the unweeded control, respectively. All herbicide treatments reduced weed ground cover and weed biomass in comparison to the unweeded control. Oxyflourfen at 0.144 kg a.i/fed and pendimethalin at 0.75 kg a.i/fed showed phytotoxic symptoms to groundnut plants. Unrestricted weed growth significantly reduced groundnut pod yield by 57 - 67% compared to the weeded control in two seasons.