Emergence of Weed Species and Their Competitive Characteristics in Direct-Seeded Rice (Oryza sativa) - 2. Durations of Weed Competition with Direct-Seeded Rice

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the competitive characteristics of weeds with direct-seeded rice. In both dry- and water-seeded rice a weeds) started to grow over the plant height of rice from 45 days after seeding, and there was a great difference in plant height between rice and weeds from 75 days after seeding. Dry weights of weeds drastically increased from 30 days after seeding in both dry- and water-seeded rice, and the increase of dry weight was faster in dry-seeded rice than in water-seeded rice with time. Although weeds competed with rice at earlier growth stages, they did not reduce rice yields and its components until competition period of 75 days after seeding. Required period of weed free at the beginning of the season was 30 to 45 days from seeding in order to avoid any yield loss. The numbers of panicle per plant, spikelets per panicle, grain weight and yield of rice in dry-seeded rice had highly negative correlations with the growth ratios of Echinochloa crus-galli, Ludwigia prostrata, Cyperus difformis, Bidens frondosa, and Cyperus serotinus. In water-seeded rice, the number of plants, panicle per plant, spikelets per panicle and yield had highly negative correlations with growth rate of Echinochloa crus-galli, but the percentage of filled spikelet had negative correlation with Cyperus difformis. Research indicated that in direct-seeded rice weed competition with rice started from 30 days after seeding and significant yield loss by weed competition occurred from 75 days after seeding.