Abstract

                                During 1989-90 and 1990-91 field trials were carried out to study the field preparation. irrigation and weed management practices for direct seeded rice at the Agricultural College and Research Institute. Killikulam. Sprouted seeds of ADT 36 rice were sown in the puddled soil. Farmers practices of four puddling with continuous submergence (5 cm) or submergence to disappearance recorded significantly higher rice yield and lesser weed drymatter compared to paraquat spray (0.625 kg/ha) plus two puddling with continuous submergence (5 cm) or submergence to disappearance. Pre- emergence application of thiobencarb (1.25 kg/ha) either on 6 or 8 DAS or post emergence application of propanil (1.5 kg/ha) on 15 DAS each followed by one hand weeding on 35 DAS or hand weeding twice on 20 and 35 DAS were statistically on par in terms of grain yield. The cost of weeding was lower when thiobencarb was applied on 6 and 8 DAS with one hand weeding on 35 DAS.

Key words : Rice, direct seeding, puddling, irrigation, weed control, yield, economics