Abstract

A field study was conducted at Agricultural Research Station, Kampasagar, Andhra Pradesh during kharif 2008-09 to evaluate the best weed management practice in System of Rice Intensification. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with eight weed management treatments (T 1 - Pre emergence application of butachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i ha -1 , T2 - cono weeding (CW) thrice at 15 days interval, T3 – T1 +T 2 , T 4 - T 1 + hand weeding (HW) at 20 and 40 days after planting (DAP), T 5 - T 2 + HW at 20 and 40 DAP, T 6 - T 3 + HW at 20 and 40 DAP, T 7 - un weeded check and T 8 - weed free). Weed density and weed dry matter were higher in un weeded check followed by Butachlor application and cono weeding alone practices. Integrated weed management practice of butachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i ha -1 combined with cono weeding thrice at 15 days interval and hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAP recorded significantly higher yield attributes and grain yield than the weedy check, butachlor @ 1.5 kg a.i ha -1 alone and cono weeding thrice at 15 days interval alone practices. Combination of weed management practices, integrated weed management practices and weed free check were comparable with each other with respect to grain yield and yield attributes.

Keywords: Butachlor, cono weeding, hand weeding, integrated weed management, system of rice intensification