Influence of weed management and planting methods for improving yield of dry seeded rice

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of planting methods and weed management in direct dry-seeded rice during summer season of 2017 and 2018 at Experimental Farm, Annamalai University. The treatment comprised of five rice planting treatments, viz. conventional tillage normal spacing [row to row (R × R) -18 cm], conventional tillage square planting (R×R-20 cm, plant to plant (P × P)-20 cm), conventional tillage paired row (9-27-9 cm), reduced tillage paired row (9-27-9 cm), reduced tillage square planting (R × R -20 cm, P×P-20 cm) in main plot and sub-plot consisted of four weed management treatments, viz. weedy, two hand weeding, pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha fb azimsulfuron 17.5 g/ha + bispyribac 25 g/ha (tank mixed) at 15 DAS fb one hand weeding (HW), oxadiargyl 50 g/ha fb metsulfuron-methyl 2 g/ha + chlorimuron-ethyl 2 g/ha (ready mix) at 20 DAS fb 1 HW. Significant reduction in weed density and biomass was recorded in two hand weeding fb pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha fb azimsulfuron 17.5 g/ha + bispyribac 25 g/ha (tank mixed) at 15 DAS fb 1 HW which resulted in improved growth and yield attributes and yield of rice. Amongst rice planting methods, conventional tillage normal spacing (R × R −18 cm) and conventional tillage paired row (9-27-9 cm) were able to compete with weeds more as compared to other rice planting methods resulting in lower weed density and weed biomass, enhanced rice growth and yield attributing characters and yield.