Effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on weeds, growth and yield of direct-seeded rice

Field trials were conducted at Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during kharif seasons of 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on weeds, growth and yield of direct-seeded rice. Results indicated that bed planting of dry-seeded rice suppressed dry matter accumulation of weeds–grasses, sedges and broad leaf weeds most effectively among crop establishment methods, and as a consequence this crop establishment method had markedly higher growth rates, higher growth and yield attributes. Among different weed management practices, integrated weed management practices, namely, pre-emergence spray of pendimethalin 1 kg/ha followed by brown manuring of dhaincha by 2,4-D 0.50 kg/ha at 25 days after sowing (DAS) and combination of pre-emergence spray of pendimethalin 1 kg/ha followed by early post-emergence spray of bispyribac 0.025 kg/ha followed by brown manuring of dhaincha by 2,4-D 0.50 kg/ha at 25 DAS significantly lowered dry matter of all weeds than other weed management practices, thus improved growth and its rate and yield attributes of direct-seeded rice. Though crop establishment methods did not significantly influence grain yield of direct-seeded rice, protein content in grain and its yield were markedly improved by bed and no-till methods than conventional method. Integration of pendithalin application with brown manuring of dhaincha and pendimethalin followed by bispyribac followed by brown manuring of dhaincha registered significantly higher grain yield, protein content in grain and its yield than remaining weed management practices.