Annual Research & Review in Biology

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important vegetable and spice crop whose slow initial growth favours weed competition and associated yield loss. A field experiment was conducted on Vertisols at the Dr YSRHU Horticulture Research Station, Lam, to evaluate pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides and hand weeding for weed control, growth, and dry red chilli yield. Twelve treatments were evaluated in a Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. Forty-five-day-old seedlings were transplanted at a spacing of 75 cm × 30 cm. Weed counts and weed dry weight were assessed at 60 days, and growth and yield attributes were recorded at harvest. The weed-free check produced the highest dry red chilli yield (41.4 q/ha), followed by hand weeding at 20, 40, 60, and 80 days after planting (38.6 q/ha). Among herbicide-based treatments, the sequential pendimethalin treatment (T11) produced 36.9 q/ha. Hand weeding recorded the highest weed-control efficiency (72.4%) and the lowest weed index (6.8%). The weed-free check also recorded the greatest plant height (94.5 cm), number of branches (4.0), and number of fruits (178.3). Overall, timely weed suppression improved crop growth and dry chilli yield, while sequential pendimethalin provided the best yield among the evaluated herbicide-based treatments under the experimental conditions. The findings indicate that maintaining low weed pressure during critical growth stages is important for sustaining crop performance.