Effect of different weed management options on weed flora, rice grain yield and economics in dry direct-seeded rice

The shift in the method of rice establishment from traditional manual transplanting of seedlings to direct seeding has occurred in many Asian countries including India. Weeds are the most important biotic constraint in dry direct-seeded rice (dry-DSR) production. Field experiments were carried out during 2015–16 and 2016–17 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru College of Agriculture & Research Institute, Karaikal, and Puducherry UT, India to study the effect of different weed management options on the diverse weed flora, rice grain yield and economics in dry-DSR under unpuddled condition. The grassy weeds dominated the weed flora, with 86.12% relative density of Echinochloa colona (L). Link. The sequential application of pendimethalin and bispyribac-sodium herbicides (1000 fb 25 g/ha) with a manual weeding in 40 days after sowing (DAS) reduced total weed density (14.4/m2) and biomass (37 g/m2), resulted in better rice growth (plant height and tillers/m2), yield parameters (panicle weight and 1000 grain weight) and higher rice grain yield (3.86 t/ha). Negative linear relationship was observed between rice grain yield and total weed biomass at 80 DAS. Uncontrolled weeds caused 68.3% dry-DSR yield loss. Pre-emergence pendimethalin 1.0 kg/ha application integrated with manual weeding with or without bispyribac-sodium application and manual weeding thrice recorded higher B: C ratio in deltaic coastal ecosystem of Karaikal, Puducherry UT.