Effect of weed management practices on growth, yield and economics in kharif maize (Zea mays L.)

A field trial was conducted during kharif season of 2015-16 and 2016-17 in farmer’s field at Banuasahi village of Angul district in Odisha to study the effect of weed management practices on growth, yield and economics in kharif maize comprising five treatments viz. one hoeing at 20 DAS fb one hand weeding at 40 DAS, pre-emergence application of atrazine @1.0 kg ha-1 at 3 DAS, pre-emergence application of atrazine @1.0 kg ha-1 at 3 DAS fb post-emergence application of 2,4-DEE @ 1.0 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, pre-emergence application of atrazine @1.0 kg ha-1 at 3 DAS fb one mechanical weeding by wheel finger weeder at 20 DAS and weedy check, laid out in randomized block design with ten replications. Pre-emergence application of atrazine @1.0 kg ha-1 at 3 DAS fb one mechanical weeding by wheel finger weeder at 20 DAS recorded significantly higher plant height(152.10 cm), cob length (15.06 cm), number of grains cob-1 (296.15) and 100 grain weight(30.23 g) with maximum gross return (Rs.66545.88 ha-1), B:C ratio (2.27), additional net return of Rs.23431.28 ha-1, weed control efficiency (79.52%) and significantly reduced weed density (32.31 m-2) and weed dry weight (22.43 g m-2) at 60 DAS. Maximum weed density m-2 at 60 DAS (173.34) and weed dry biomass (141.41 g m-2) was observed in weedy check.