Effect of different weed management practices on growth, yield attributes and yield of direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted on Instructional cum Research Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur (C.G.) during kharif season 2018 to evaluate the new formulation of oxyfluorfen (20 % DF) on weed control in direct seeded rice. Oxyfluorfen is a diphenyl-ether herbicide as a pre-emergence herbicide used for control of annual, perennial and broad leaved weeds in a various field crops. Pre-emergence (PE) application of oxyfluorfen 20 DF @ 720 g ha-1 gave significantly lower total weed density, weed dry weight and higher weed control efficiency at all the intervals. However, Oxyfluorfen 20 DF @ 240 g ha-1 as PE herbicide can keep the weed density and dry weight below the economic threshold level and increase the grain yield (49.51 q ha-1) and straw yield (64.52 q ha-1) in direct seeded rice. Unweeded control accounted for lower grain yield (5.83 q ha-1) which causes higher weed density and dry weight, respectively due to heavy competition of weeds for nutrients, space and light.