Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli during rabi 2011-12 and 2012-13 to study the effect of pre and post emergence herbicides and various establishment methods on productivity and profitability of rice under sodic soil environment. The soil was sandy clay loam with pH of 8.82 and 8.96 during rabi 2011-12 and 2012-13, respectively. Medium duration rice cultivar TRY 1 was used during both the years. Four crop establishment techniques viz., manual line transplanting, mechanical line transplanting, Direct Planting System (DPS) and drum seeded rice; and six weed management practices viz., PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl 30 g a.i. ha-1 + POE almix 4 g a.i. ha-1, PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl 30 g a.i. ha-1 + POE bispyribac sodium 20 g a.i. ha-1, PE londax power 10.0 kg ha-1 + POE almix 4 g a.i. ha-1 , PE londax power 10.0 kg ha-1 + POE bispyribac sodium 20 g a.i. ha-1, two hand weeding and un-weeded control were main and sub plot treatments, respectively. The experiments were laid out in a strip plot design with three replications. The results showed that Direct Planting System (DPS) recorded higher weed control efficiency, productivity and profitability of rice; and among weed management practices, hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAT/S registered higher weed control efficiency and productivity of rice; and it was comparable with PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl 30 g a.i. ha-1 + POE bispyribac sodium 20 g a.i. ha-1 during both the years of study. In economic point of view, PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl 30 g a.i. ha-1 + POE bispyribac sodium 20 g a.i. ha-1 recorded higher net income, and BC ratio during both the years.

Keywords: Crop establishment methods rice, weed management practices, weed control efficiency, yield