Weed Management in Dry Direct-Seeded Rice: A Review on Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Rice Production

Abstract

Rice cultivation always remains significant for food and livelihood security. The predictions of increasing water deficiency under a changing climate and escalating labor shortages in agriculture have brought a paradigm swing in rice cultivation from conventionally flooded transplanting to direct-seeded rice (DSR). DSR cultivation can potentially address the concerns of diminishing natural resources and mounting production costs in the establishment of transplanted rice. The transition towards DSR saves water, reduces duration to maturity as well as labor required, and reduces negative environmental footprints. Despite all these recompenses, the potential yield losses through enormous weed menaces under DSR remains a challenge and may reduce yield by up to 50%. In this review, we examine the extent of weed infestation, weed shift and the losses in dry DSR (DDSR). Various regional and global scientific efforts made under DDSR have been assessed in the present and the smart weed-management strategies suggested can be adopted after scrutiny. Integration of different weed management approaches, namely prevention, cultural, mechanical, and chemical, have been discussed, which can pave the way for worldwide adoption of DDSR, especially in South Asia. In Asia, 22% of the acreage of total rice cultivation is under DSR and the region-specific integration of these weed-management approaches might reduce herbicide use in these areas by up to 50%.

Sustainability, Efficiency, and Circularity of Weedy Rice Management Strategies

“…However, weedy rice is difficult to control by any of these strategies because of its genetic, morphological, and phenological similarities with rice. Then, what seems a more effective strategy against weedy rice is an integrated weed management (IWM) strategy, i.e., using several methods that target different phases of the weedy rice cycle ( [20], [22], [34], [37], [51][52][53][54]).…”

Rice breeding in the new era: comparison of useful agronomic traits

“…The first is the conventional method, which requires water flooding and represents a sustainability issue because of water scarcity, methane production, and the consumption of nonrenewable energy (W. Wang et al, 2017). DSR, on the other hand, represents opportunities for efficient water and nitrogen use, and a reduction of both greenhouse gas emissions and labor demand, especially in countries such as China, where 90% of rice is currently produced under PTR (Shekhawat et al, 2020). However, weed management is a challenge in DRS, specifically during the first 41 days after sowing (DAS).…”

Rice agronomic traits and variability induced by mutagenesis

“…The rst is the conventional method, which requires water ooding and represents a sustainability issue because of water scarcity, methane production and the consumption of nonrenewable energy (Wang et al, 2017). DSR, on the other hand, represents opportunities for e cient water and nitrogen use, and a reduction of both greenhouse gas emissions and labor demand, especially in countries such as China, where 90% of rice is currently produced under PTR (Shekhawat et al, 2020). However, weed management is a challenge in DRS, speci cally during the rst 41 days after sowing (DAS).…”