Crop establishment and weed management integration in rainfed medium land rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Field experiments were conducted during kharif season of 2013 and 2014 to find out the best crop management practice of rice (Oryza sativa L.). Among all the management practices, transplanting with post emergence application of bispyribac sodium 0.02 kg/ha at 21 days after sowing (DAS) followed by mechanical weeding at 35 DAS recorded the maximum value of plant height at harvest (129.7cm), leaf area index at 75 DAS (6.34), grains/panicle (131) and 1000-grain weight (29.58g), followed by drum seeding with same management practices. Transplanted rice recorded the maximum grain yield (4.64 t/ha), stover yield (5.56 t/ha) with maximum gross return of ₹ 67,771/ha and net return of ₹ 37,104/ha. Direct seeded rice in line (DSRL) with pre-emergence application of pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha followed by one hand weeding at 35 DAS recorded the maximum return per rupee investment in rice (2.42) with grain yield and straw yield of 3.93 t/ha and 4.71 t/ha, respectively.