Abstract
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is a vital nutrient-rich crop belonging to the family Poaceae, capable of thriving in adverse climatic conditions. However, weed competition for moisture, nutrients, space, and light remains a primary barrier to productivity, particularly during the critical early growth stages. To identify effective chemical management strategies, a field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season (June-September) of 2023 at the Experimental Farm, Department of Agronomy, Annamalai University. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with three replications and eleven treatments. The treatments consisted of various herbicides, including pre-emergence applications of Atrazine (Atrataf), Pretilachlor (Delete), and Pendimethalin (Pendamil), and post-emergence applications of 2,4-D (Pakar) and Tembotrione (Laudis), tested alone and in combination, alongside twice-hand weeding and an untreated control. The experimental field was predominantly infested with Brachiaria reptans, Cyperus rotundus, and Trianthema portulacastrum. Among the herbicidal treatments, the application of Pendimethalin followed by Tembotrione (Pendamil + Laudis) was found to be the most effective in suppressing the density and growth of these dominant weed species. This treatment significantly reduced weed competition and yielded more grain than other chemical treatments. The study concludes that the combination of Pendimethalin and Tembotrione offers superior weed control efficiency and enhances crop productivity. Therefore, this treatment can be recommended to farmers for effective and economic weed management in pearl millet cultivation.