Bathua and other broadleaf weeds come up in my chana and I am scared to spray because pulses are sensitive. What is safe?
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Chana (gram) is sensitive and has fewer registered herbicide options than cereals, so weed control leans heavily on pre-emergence chemicals plus cultural and mechanical methods. A reliable step is a pre-emergence spray of pendimethalin within 1 to 3 days of sowing on a moist field, which controls many early grasses and broadleaf weeds including bathua before they emerge. For grassy weed escapes, a post-emergence grass killer such as quizalofop can be used safely in chana. Broadleaf-specific post-emergence options in pulses are limited and must be used very carefully and only if registered for chana, since the wrong broadleaf herbicide can damage the crop, which is why pre-emergence plus one inter-cultivation or hand weeding at about 30 to 35 days is the common, safe combination. Keep a dense, even stand and proper spacing so the crop competes well. Use only herbicides registered for chana, follow the label dose and timing exactly, and confirm with your local KVK before spraying, because pulses are sensitive and a wrong herbicide can kill the crop.
Pendimethalin right after sowing plus one hand weeding around a month is what I do for chana in Vidisha. I do not risk broadleaf sprays on pulses without KVK advice.
For grassy escapes a grass killer is safe in chana. But for broadleaf weeds I rely on the pre-emergence and weeding rather than chancing a broadleaf chemical on a sensitive crop.
A dense, even stand really helps chana shade out weeds. My thin patches always had more weeds. Good spacing and seed rate do half the work.