Phytocoenology Study of Weeds of Rice Crop with Edaphic Variation: An Analysis from Jhargram, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Under edaphic fluctuation, the current study explains the phytosociological characteristics and weed distribution patterns in transplanted rice crops. Present work was done in Jhargram block, West Bengal, during kharif season 2022 and 2023. For every weed species, analytical quantitative characters were determined, such as relative density, relative dominance and important value index. There were 15 (6 grassy, 6 BLWs, 3 sedge), 14 (4 grassy,6 BLWs, 4 sedge), 16 (5 grassy, 8 BLWs, 3 sedge) and 11 (3 grassy, 5 BLWs, 3 sedge) weeds species found in Jhargram, Binpur I and Binpur II and Nayagram block of Jhargram district, respectively. Observation showed that, the relative density of single plant species at Jhargram Block, Cynodon dactylon was the predominant grassy weed; however, relative density of BLWs (Broad Leaved Weeds) and sedges, more seen with Euphorbia hirta, Amaranthus spinosus and Cyperus sp., respectively. Importance Value Index (IVI) more reported with Cynodon dactylon for grasses, Ludwigia parviflora and Euphorbia hirta for BLWs and Cyperus difformis for sedges. In Binpur I, Cynodon dactylon for grasses, Ludwigia parviflora for BLWs and Cyperus rotundus for sedges, were the predominant weed species with highest IVI. In Binpur II, block, more IVI found with Paspalum scorbiculatum for grasses, Euphorbia hirta and Ludwigia parviflora for BLWs and Cyperus rotundus for sedges. In Nayagram, block, relative abundance was observed more with Echinochloa colona, Hydrolea zeylanica and Cyperus rotundus for grasses, BLWs and sedges, respectively. More number of BLWs was observed throughout the observation followed by grasses in case of Jhargram, Binpur I and sedges in Binpur II and Nayagram block. This baseline information become very imperative for future research as well as for farming community to choose right kind of competitive crops and cropping pattern in the red-latertic zone.