Foliar Nutrition and Weed Management in Black Gram

Pulses are the important constituents of the Indian diet and they supply a major part of protein requirement. Among pulse crops, Black gram (Vigna mungo L.) is an important legume crop known for its high protein content. In Tamil Nadu, among pulses, black gram productivity is very low. Among the various factors responsible for lower yield of black gram, weeds have been considered to be the main factor and reduction in yield may be as high as 30-50 percent or excess more depending on the intensity and the type of weed flora. Hence, weed management can be an important factor in enhancing the productivity of black gram. Among different methods, chemical weed management has been found to be effective and economical, in the present labor scarce situation. The low productivity of black gram is also due to its limitations in sink capacity. Foliar application of nutrients are known to influence many physiological activities and thereby promote mobilization of metabolites and photoassimilates to the defined sink which in turn increases the yield. Field experiments were conducted at farmer's field in Melakottai, Author block, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu.