Bixlozone + metribuzin (pre-mix) application timing effect on its efficacy to manage weeds in wheat

An experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024–25 at the Research Farm of the Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab. The objective was to assess the application timing effect on the efficacy of bixlozone + metribuzin (pre-mix) in managing weeds in wheat. In this study, efficacy of bixlozone + metribuzin applied at 21, 28 and 35 days after seeding (DAS) at 500 + 100, 625 + 125, 750 + 150 g/ha was compared with metribuzin at 175 g/ha, metribuzin + clodinafop-propargyl 210 + 60 g/ha and unsprayed weedy check in Split Plot Design with three replications. The spray of herbicides at 28 and 35 DAS was found superior in terms of productivity of wheat. Spray at 21, 28 and 35 DAS resulted in statistically similar control of grass and broad-leaved weeds. However, spray at 21 DAS resulted in wheat grain yield similar to weedy check due to its severe phytotoxicity to wheat. Among weed control treatments, bixlozone + metribuzin at 600–900 g/ha recorded similar efficacy in reducing weed density and biomass at 60 DAS as metribuzin + clodinafop-propargyl. It is concluded that effective post-emergence weed control and higher wheat productivity can be achieved with 600–900 g/ha of bixlozone + metribuzin applied at 28 and 35 DAS.