Comparison of several weed control and tillage techniques in suppressing weeds and increasing maize production for integrated weed control

Abstract

The use of herbicides has received attention due to its effects on human health, sustainability, and biodiversity due to toxic chemicals in herbicides. Repeated use of herbicide active ingredients over a long period of time can result in the emergence of resistant weeds. One strategy to reduce the herbicide use without decreasing productivity is integrated weed control. This study aims to compare the effectiveness of several weed control techniques in integrated weed control and their role in suppressing weeds and increasing maize crop production. This study used a Randomized Group Design with 2 factorials. The first factor was weed control technique (W) with levels: no control (W0), cover crop (W1), pre-emergent herbicide (W2), post-emergent herbicide (W3), and weed-free (with weeding) (W4). And the second factor was tillage technique (T), namely: no tillage (T0) and conventional tillage (T1). The results showed that post-emergent herbicides were more effective in controlling weeds and the highest crop production with weed control techniques with pre-emergent herbicides. The tillage technique had no significant effect on weeds and maize crop production.