Relative Efficacy of Different Herbicides for Weed Control in Direct Seeded Rice on Puddled Soil

A field investigation was conducted during the dry seasons of 1995 and 1996 to evaluate the performance of pre-emergence herbicides pretilachlor+safener, butachlor+safener, butachlor, anilophos+ethoxysulfuron, thiobencarb and anilophos for their efficacy to control weeds in direct sown rice under puddled soil condition. Among the herbicides tested, pretilachlor+safener (0.4 kg/ha and 0.6 kg/ha) and butachlor+safener (1.5 kg/ha) and anilophos+ethoxysulfuron (0.375+0.04 kg/ha) controlled the prominent weeds like Cyperus difformis and Fimbristylis miliacea and produced yields comparable to that of hand weeded control. The loss in grain yield of rice due to unchecked weed competition was worked out to be 17.7 and 25.2% during 1995 and 1996, respectively.