Weed management in transplanted rice (Oryza under sativa) Ghaggar flood plains of north-west Rajasthan

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif seasons of 1994,1995 and 1996 to work out the relative efficacy of herbicides applied alone or in combination with supplemental hand weeding to control weed in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.). Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.5 kg a. i.ha supplemented with 1 hand weeding at 30 days after transplanting showed the highest weed control efficiency (80.37%) and yield attributes (248.1 effective panicles/m2, 137.0 filled grains/ panicle and 29.64 g 1000-grain weight) as well as grain (72.64 m a ) and straw (88.13 m a ) yields of rice with maximum additional net return (Rs 4,056). However, butachlor and benthiocarb proved on par with pendimethalin when applied alone. Though 2 hand weedings treatment significantly reduced the weed biomass and improved the grain yield, owing to higher labour cost reduced the benefit : cost ratio.