The present investigation was carried out at the Research Farm, Department of Forestry, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (MP), during the rainy (kharif) season of 2017-18. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design, with 10 treatments replicated thrice. The soil of the experimental field was sandy clay loam in texture and almost neutral in reaction. The available NPK contents in the soil were 208 (medium), 16.26 (medium) and 173 (medium) kg/ha, respectively. The treatments consisted of T1-Atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1, T2- Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1, T3-2,4-D EE 0.5 kg ha-1, T4- Atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 fb 2,4-D EE 0.5 kg ha-1 T5- Pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha fb 2,4-D EE 0.5 kg ha-1, T6  - Atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 + hand weeding (30 DAS), T7   Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 + hand weeding (30 DAS), T8 - 2,4-D EE 0.5 kg ha-1 + hand weeding (30 DAS), T9- hand weeding (30 DAS) and T10 – Weedy check. The prominent weeds in fodder maize were Echinocha colona, Cyperus rotundus, Digitaria sangunalis, Eclipta alba and Phyllanthus niruri.

The pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha-1 recorded significantly higher green fodder yield (675 q/ha), dry fodder yield (129.93 q/ha), crude protein yield (17.48 q/ha), net monetary return (Rs. 78008 /ha) and benefit cost ratio (4.0), as compared to other treatments after hand weeding.

Fodder yield, herbicides, growth characters, weed  management, Zea mays