Evaluation of Weed Competitiveness of Rice Cultivars for Sustainable Weed Management in Dry DSR

Abstract

Effective weed management is critical for realising the full potential of Direct-seeded rice (DSR) technology. Chemical weed control through pre- and post-emergence herbicides has become a widely adopted strategy in DSR due to its cost-effectiveness and ease of application. The study aims to evaluate the weed competitiveness and yield performance of ten rice cultivars under dry DSR conditions. The field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2023-2024 at the ICAR- Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The experiment, laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, included three weed pressure levels as main plot treatments and rice cultivars of varying maturity durations as sub-plots. Results revealed that the sequential application of pendimethalin (pre-emergence) followed by cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam (post-emergence) significantly reduced weed dry weight and recorded the highest weed control index and grain yield (2.35 t/ha). Among the cultivars, Purna, Abhishek, Sadabhar, and IR 64 Drt-1 exhibited strong weed suppression and higher economic return even under high weed pressure. The study highlights the importance of integrating chemical weed control with the selection of weed-competitive cultivars for sustainable and profitable DSR cultivation.