Direct drum seeding has emerged as a viable and alternate
substitute
to the current transplanted rice to address constraints of labor and
water scarcity as well as rising cultivation costs. However, heavy
weed infestation is the main biological factor leading to immense
yield loss, which requires immediate attention. Therefore, adoption
of efficient weed management practice is critical for the success
and widespread adoption of direct seeded rice. In this regard, an
experiment was laid out at the Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKUAST
of Kashmir, India, in Kharif seasons of 2018 and 2019 to assess the
efficiency of direct seeded rice (DSR) under two sowing dates (D1: 10th May and D2: 3rd June) and six weed management
strategies (W1: weedy check (untreated check), W2: four mechanized conoweedings at 15, 30, 45, and 60 DAS (days after
sowing), equivalent to weed free (four conoweedings, equivalent to
weed free), W3: bensulfuron-methyl + pretilachlor @ 60
and 600 g a.i. ha–1 as pre-emergence (BSM + pretilachlor,
PE), W4: oxyfluorfen @ 750 g a.i. ha–1 as pre-emergence (oxyfluorfen, PE), W5: bensulfuron-methyl
+ pretilachlor @ 60 and 600 g a.i. ha–1 as pre-emergence
followed by 2,4-D @ 0.75 kg a.i. ha–1 as post-emergence
(30–35 DAS) (BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D
PoE), and W6: oxyfluorfen @ 750 g a.i. ha–1 as pre-emergence followed by 2,4-D @ 0.75 kg a.i. ha–1 as post-emergence (30–35 DAS) (oxyfluorfen PE fb 2,4-D PoE) on growth characteristics, productivity, weed infestation,
and nutrient dynamics. The pooled results showed that 10th May sowing
recorded significantly higher values of growth characteristics viz.
plant height, dry matter production, tiller count, and yield characteristics,
including panicle weight, panicle length, filled grains per panicle,
and test weight, as compared to delayed sowing (3rd June). Earlier
sowing (10th May) produced significantly higher grain yield (7.33
t ha–1) and straw yield (8.99 t ha–1) when compared to the delayed sowing (3rd June) which produced a
grain yield of 6.08 t ha–1 and straw yield of 7.93
t ha–1. Among weed management strategies, four mechanized
conoweeding at 15, 30, 45, and 60 DAS resulted in enhanced growth,
yield characteristics, and yield but was statistically similar to
bensulfuron-methyl (BSM) + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D
post-emergence (PoE). Delayed sowing (3rd June; D2) recorded
significantly higher weed density and dry-weed biomass as compared
to earlier sowing (10th May; D1). Among the herbicides
tested, sequential application of BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D PoE proved an efficient weed management practice with a significantly
reduced population and dry weight of weeds. Therefore, it was concluded
that 10th May sowing with four mechanized conoweedings or sequential
application of BSM + pretilachlor PE fb 2,4-D PoE
is promising for improving productivity and efficient weed control
in direct drum seeded rice under temperate Kashmir conditions.