Influence of Different Establishment and Weed Management Techniques on Weeds, Productivity, Quality and Profitability of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Irrigated Condition

Abstract

Researchers conducted the field experiment during the 2018 Kharif season at the Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology's Agronomy Research Farm in Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.). The experiment consisted of three rice establishment method viz; transplanting, drum seeded, and direct-seeded method and five weed management technique viz; pyrazosulfuron-ethyl 10% WP @ 30 g ha-1 at 5 days after sowing (DAS)/days after transplanting (DAT), chlorimuron-ethyl + metsulfuron-methyl @ 4 g ha-1 at 10 DAS/DAT, bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g ha-1 at 30 DAS/DAT, two hand-weeding at 20 and 40 DAS/DAT, and weedy check making fifteen treatment combination which were assigned in a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) replicated thrice. According to the findings, the transplanting method of rice establishment considerably reduced the weeds' flora densities such as broad leaved, grasses, sedges, total density and weeds dry weight. It also improved weed control efficiency (52.34%), leading to higher grain yield (4.78 t ha⁻¹), straw yield (4.93 t ha-1) along with gross returns (₹ 98439 ha-1), net return (₹ 56010 ha-1), and BCR (1.31) compared to the drum-seeded and direct-seeded methods for the NDR-2065 rice variety. Further, among the weed management techniques, two hand weeding applied at 20 and 40 DAS/DAT resulted in the best weed performance, with decreased weeds flora densities such as Broad leaved, grasses, sedges and total density as well as weeds dry weight. This practice also led to improved weed control efficiency (77.99%), grain yield (5.41 t ha-1), straw yield (5.58 t ha-1) along with gross returns (₹111483 ha-1), and net return (₹ 66843 ha-1). Bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g ha-1 at 30 DAS/DAT, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl 10% WP @ 30 g ha-1, and chlorimuron-ethyl + metsulfuron-methyl @ 4 g ha-1, in that order, were the next best-performing methods after manual weeding Twice. While, application of bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g ha-1 at 30 DAS/DAT alone recorded maximum BCR (1.52) than other weed management technique. Thus, the combination of the transplanting method for rice establishment and bispyribac-sodium @ 25 g ha-1 at 30 DAS/DAT showed to be the most beneficial to reduce weed densities and their dry weight, and also enhancing yield and economic returns of rice.