Archives of Current Research International

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop that contributes significantly to food and nutritional security, but its productivity is severely limited by weed infestation and nutrient constraints. A field experiment was conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2023-24 and 2024-25 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Tilak Dhari Post Graduate College, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, to evaluate the effects of weed management and integrated nutrient management on weed dynamics, growth and productivity of chickpea. The experiment comprised 24 treatment combinations involving six weed management practices and four nutrient management practices, laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. Weed management practices significantly influenced crop growth, yield attributes and seed yield during both years. Among the herbicidal treatments, post-emergence application of imazethapyr + imazamox at the 3-4 leaf stage was most effective and remained statistically at par with the weed-free treatment for seed yield. It produced seed yields of 1.88 and 2.02 t ha-1 during 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively, compared with 1.99 and 1.95 t ha-1 under weed-free conditions. Among nutrient management practices, application of 75% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) along with Rhizobium and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) produced the highest seed yield (1.84 and 1.91 t ha-1). The results indicate that integrating effective herbicide-based weed management with biofertilizer-supported nutrient management can enhance chickpea productivity and reduce dependence on chemical fertilizers under subtropical agro-ecological conditions.