Effect of Different Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Kharif Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Department Farm, College of Agriculture, Dapoli during kharif seasons of 2016 and 2017 to study the effect of different establishment methods and weed management practices on growth and yield of kharif rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design comprising of twenty five treatment combinations replicated thrice. The horizontal strips comprised five rice establishment methods viz., sowing of dry seeds by drum seeder at onset of monsoon (M₁), sowing of sprouted seeds (Rahu) by drum seeder on puddled field (M₂), broadcasting of sprouted seeds (Rahu) on puddled field (M₃), SRI (System of Rice Intensification) method (M₄) and conventional transplanting (M₅). The vertical strips consisted five weed management practices viz., need based two hand weedings at 20/30 and 40/60 DAS/DAT (W₁), pre-emergence application of Oxadiargyl 80 WP @ 100 g ha^-1 + 1 hand weeding at 20/30 DAS/DAT (W₂), pre-emergence application of Oxadiargy l 80 WP @ 100 g ha^-1 + 1 hand weeding at 40/60 DAS/DAT (W₃), pre-emergence application of Oxadiargyl 80 WP @ 100 g ha^-1 + post emergence application of Almix 20 WP @ 4 g ha^-1 (W₄) and unweeded control (W₅). The highest grain and straw yield from kharif rice were obtained when rice crop was established by SRI method with two hand weedings carried out at 20 and 40 DAS (M₂W₁) or preemergence application of Oxadiargyl + 1 hand weeding carried out at 20 DAS (M₂W₁) as compared to remaining treatment combinations during both the seasons as well as in pooled analysis.