Influence of Tillage and Weed Management Practices on Yield, Weed Dynamics and Economics of Irrigated Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Abstract

Safflower is an ancient oilseed crop extensively cultivated in India, particularly in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, along with effective weed management strategies, is crucial for enhancing crop productivity while mitigating challenges such as soil degradation and the development of herbicide resistance. An investigation was carried out during rabi season of the year 2024-25 at the Experimental Farm, Safflower Research Station, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani. The experiment was laid out in a Split plot design with 15 treatments and three replications to evaluate the effect of tillage and weed management practices on yield attributes, yield, weed parameters and economics of irrigated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.). Among the tillage practices, conventional tillage (harrowing, levelling and cleaning) recorded significantly higher number of capitula plant-1 (25.48), weight of capitula plant-1 (44.96 g), number of seeds capitula-1 (27.29), number of seeds plant-1 (480.88) and weight of seeds plant-1 (14.85 g). The same treatment also produced higher seed yield (1765 kg ha-1), straw yield (2687 kg ha-1), biological yield (4452 kg ha-1) and harvest index (39.64 %). In weed parameters, conventional tillage recorded lower weed density (4.03, 5.39 and 6.64 at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively), lower weed dry weight (3.04, 6.34 and 7.59 g at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively) and higher weed control efficiency (63.07, 64.49 and 61.59 % at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively). Among weed management practices, integrated weed management recorded significantly higher number of capitula plant-1 (27.86), weight of capitula plant-1 (47.92 g), number of seeds capitula-1 (30.26), number of seeds plant-1 (479.41) and weight of seeds plant-1 (15.26 g). It also resulted in higher seed yield (1799 kg ha-1), straw yield (2898 kg ha-1) and biological yield (4697 kg ha-1). Integrated weed management recorded lower weed density (3.50, 3.63 and 4.97 at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively), lower weed dry weight (2.20, 4.38 and 5.20 g at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively) and higher weed control efficiency (83.45, 84.31 and 83.11 % at 30, 60 and 90 DAS, respectively). Economically, conventional tillage recorded higher gross returns (104860 Rs ha-1), net returns (69964 Rs ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.9), while integrated weed management recorded higher gross returns (106840 Rs ha-1), net returns (70900 Rs ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.9).