2024, Vol. 7, Issue 1, Part C

A study conducted at the college farm of Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar (PJTSAU), Hyderabad, examined the relationship between the dynamics of weeds and crop yield amid long-term tillage and residue management practices. The trial was set up as a split plot, with weed management as the sub plot (W1- Recommended herbicides, W2-Integrated weed management (herbicide + hand weeding), and W3-Unweeded) and tillage and residue management as the main plot (T_1- CT (Transplanted), T₂- CT (Transplanted), T₃-CT (Direct-seeded), T₄- ZT (Direct-seeded), and T₅- ZT (Direct-seeded) + R).

The rice crop planted by CT (transplanted) in the 2017 kharif season was found to have the lowest and similar weed dry matter content and weed densities / m2, which was much superior than the tillage techniques utilised by ZT, ZT+R, and CT (directed seeded). This was observed at 30 DAT/60 DAS. In turn, CT (directly seeded) demonstrated reduced weed dry matter content than ZT and ZT-R. After sixty days, a similar pattern was observed. Similarly, IWM practices at 30, 60, 90 DAS and harvest showed markedly reduced weed density and dry matter/m2 and showed no discernible difference from chemical control. The results indicate that of all the tillage treatments examined, the CT transplanted approach produced the highest yields of grain and straw, and that the yields of ZT and ZT+R treatments, sowed under the aerobic system (direct seeding), with comparable yields of grain and straw, came next. With CT transplanted treatments, test weight, grains/panicle, and productive tillers were seen to be much higher than with CT, ZT, and ZT+R treatments, which were thereafter comparable with one another. Lower weed index values were a direct result of increased yield in CT transplanted treatment areas. Grain and straw production increased as a result of IWM practice, which also produced more productive tillers, grains/panicle, and test weight that were comparable to those obtained after chemical treatment. Meanwhile, un weeded control yielded far less of these results.