Effect of Safener Doses and Time of Application of Butachlor on Weed Control in Direct Seeded Puddled Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

A field experiment was conducfed during kharif 1994 and 1995 at Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya. Palampur to standardize the dose of safener (antidote) in relation to different times of application of butachlor in direct seeded puddled rice. Results of the study reveal that all combinations of safener with butachlor were significantly superior to alone application of butachlor at each of the times of application in decreasing the dry matter of weeds and in turn increasing the yield attributes and yield of rice. Among all the combinations, butachlor 2.0 kg/ha + safener 0.188 kg/ha (7 DAS) increased the grain yield significantly by controlling the weeds effectively. But it was statistically at par with butachlor 1.50 kg/ha+safener 0.188 kg/ha (2 or 7 DAS) and hand weeding twice. Butachlor 1.50 kg/ha without safener applied 2 or 7 DAS exhibited toxicity to rice seedlings but toxicity was significantly less when applied 7 DAS compared to 2 DAS.