Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Growth Characteristics and Grain Quality of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out to study the effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on growth characteristics and grain quality of rice Oryza sativa L.) at SIF, Department of Agronomy, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh during kharif season of 2023 and 2024. A split plot design was used for the experiment, with three replications, three planting techniques in main plot and seven weed-management practiced in sub plot. The main plot treatments included P1 -Conventional transplanting, P2 - Direct seeded rice (Dry) and P3 - Drum seeded rice (wet/sprouted seed) and sub-plots treatment were W1 - Unweeded check,  W2 - Pyrazosulfurone ethyl 10% WP @ 25g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence, W3 - Bentazone 48 SL @ 0.96 kg a.i. ha-1as post emergence (30 DAS/DAT), W4 - Pyrazosulfurone ethyl 10% WP @ 25g a.i. ha-1as pre-emergence + one hand weeding (45 DAS/DAT), W5 - Pyrazosulfurone ethyl 10% WP @ 25g a.i. ha-1as pre-emergence fb bentazone 48 SL @ 0.96 kg a.i. ha-1 (30 DAS/DAT), W6 - Pyrazosulfurone ethyl 10% WP @ 25g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence fb Bentazone 48 SL @ 0.96 kg a.i. ha-1 (30 DAS/DAT) + one hand weeding (45 DAS/DAT) and W7 - Weed free (hand weeding at 25 and 45 DAS/DAT) (W7). Results revealed that maximum plant population recorded with Drum seeded rice (wet/sprouted seed) (P3) however, maximum growth characteristics viz, plant height, number of tillers plants-1 recorded at 90 days after sowing/transplanting and highest nitrogen content, protein content and protein yield was recorded under Conventional transplanting  with the combination of weed free (hand weeding at 25 and 45 DAS/DAT) (W7) followed by Pyrazosulfurone ethyl 10% WP @ 25g a.i. ha-1 as pre-emergence fb Bentazone 48 SL @ 0.96 kg a.i. ha-1 (30 DAS/DAT) + one hand weeding (45 DAS/DAT) (W6) during 2023 and 2024 respectively, However, lowest value are found under  combinations of Direct seeded rice (Dry) with Un – weeded check (W1),  during both the years of experimentation.