<div>Background: Weeds are the major biotic constraint to reduce the rice productivity in direct wet seeded rice. Weed infestation and competition are severe in direct wet seeded rice as compared to transplanted rice, because of the simultaneous growth of both crops and weeds. The yield loss due to weeds varies from 40 to 100 per cent in direct seeded rice. Use of herbicides either singly or in combination with manual or mechanical weeding in puddled direct seeded rice has been highlighted by several workers. Use of alternative herbicides with wide spectrum control of the weeds in direct seeded puddled rice is the need of the present time. The present study aimed to evaluate different weed management practices in direct wet seeded rice under sodic soil. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during Samba season (Rabi) 2016-17. to evaluate the weed management practices in direct wet seeded rice under sodic soil. The treatments comprised of different combination of weed management practices viz., pre emergence, early post emergence herbicides, mechanical weeding and hand weeding twice were tested. Total weed density and weed dry weight, weed control efficiency, yield parameters and yield of rice were recorded.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Among the different weed management practices, the lowest total weed density, total weed dry weight and higher WCE, yield attributes, grain and straw yields were registered under application of PE pyrazosulfuron ethyl 25 g/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium 25 g/ha. This was followed by application of PE pretilachlor 0.75 kg/ha fb EPOE bispyribac sodium 25 g/ha.&nbsp;</div>

<div>Weed Dynamics and Productivity of Direct Wet Seeded Rice under Different Weed Management Practices</div>

Background: Weeds are one of the most important elements influencing crop productivity. Tillage practices have a significant effect on the weed seed bank and the appearance of weeds, both of which have a direct impact on farm productivity. Different tillage strategies based on ploughing depth, as well as weed control practices, change the dynamics of weed seeds in the soil. This research will aid in the development of integrated weed control methods by investigating the interaction between tillage and weed management practices. 
 
Methods: Field trials were carried out in two seasons, Summer and Kharif 2022, using a split-plot design with three tillage methods and four weed management practices. The treatments were replicated three times.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Among the different tillage treatments Mouldboard plough fb Cultivator fb Rotovator recorded the lowest weed density. With respect to weed management methods, pre- and post-emergence herbicide application and hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS recorded the lower weed density. Interaction effects of tillage and weed management practices resulted in lower weed density in Mouldboard plough fb Cultivator fb Rotovator with herbicide application and Mouldboard plough fb Cultivator fb Rotovator with hand weeding. Highest weed density was recorded under Cultivator fb Rotovator in unweeded control. With respect to relative density, among the broad-leaved weeds (BLW) Trianthema portulacastrum and Dactyloctenium aegyptium in grasses dominated among the weed species in 30 and 60 DAS respectively. From the present study it was concluded that the Mouldboard plough fb Cultivator fb Rotovator with hand weeding twice or herbicide application reduces the weed emergence from the soil weed seed bank.

Above Ground Emergence and Floristic Composition of Weeds in Relation to Tillage and Weed Management Practices in Maize and Cowpea

<div>Background: To study effect of various spacing and weed management practices on weed control, growth parameter, yield and yield attributes of pigeon pea variety Pusa Arhar-16, field experiments were conducted at Student&rsquo;s Research Farm, Khalsa College Amritsar, Punjab, India during kharif season of 2019-20. 
 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in Split plot design with three replications. The treatments comprised of four different spacing i.e. S1 (30&times;10 cm), S2 (30&times;15 cm), S3 (40&times;15 cm) and S4 (50&times;25 cm) which were considered as main plot treatments and three weed management practices W1 (weedy check), W2 (pendimethalin @ 1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 at 1DAS) and W3 (rice straw mulch) as sub-plot treatments. 
 
Result: It was found that maximum plant height (218.2 cm) and highest leaf area index (2.104) was recorded in treatment S1 (30&times;10 cm) whereas treatment S4 (50&times;25 cm) was superior in rest of growth parameters viz. maximum crop growth rate (0.85 gram per plant per day), number of primary branches (18.2 per plant) and number of secondary branches (13.8 per plant). Among yield and yield attributes, spacing S1 (30&times;10 cm) showed maximum grain yield (16.29 q ha-1) and stover yield (49.29 q ha-1) whereas, maximum number of pods per plant (154.6), pod length (4.83 cm), number of seeds per pod (3.90) and 100-seed weight (7.14 grams) were recorded in spacing S4 (50&times;25 cm). The weed management treatments showed non-significant effect on growth and yield parameters due to weed suppressing ability of the crop. which might be due to weed suppressing ability of the crop. It may be concluded that pigeon pea cultivar Pusa Arhar-16 performed better in narrower spacing of 30&times;10 cm due to its dwarf nature and it also showed good smothering effect on the weeds due to its smothering effect.</div>

<div>Effect of Different Spacing and Weed Management Practices on Weeds, Crop Growth and Productivity of Pigeon Pea Variety Pusa Arhar-16</div>

<div>The present study was conducted in kharif seasons of 2015, 2016 and 2017 at experimental farm of Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur (Rajasthan) to study efficacy of different weed management practices in clusterbean. Three years result shows that compared to weedy check (6.82 m-2) application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i. ha-1 as PE fb one hand weeding recorded lowest weed density (3.58 m-2). Among herbicidal treatments, Pendimethalin @ 0.75kg a.i/ha as PE fb one hand weeding at 25 DAS (83.7%) and Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha as PE+ Imazathapyr+ Imazamox @ 40g a.i./ha PoE (74.0%) recorded highest weed control efficiency. Likewise, application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75kg a.i/ha as PE fb one hand weeding at 25 DAS and Pendimethalin 0.75kg/ha at PE fb Imazathapyr + Imazamox @ 40g a.i. ha-1 recorded significantly higher seed (1136 kg ha-1 and 1009 kg ha-1), haulm (3304 kg ha-1 and 2943 kg ha-1) and biological yield (4440 kg ha-1 and 3953 kg ha-1), respectively over other herbicidal treatments. Economic evaluation indicated that application of Pendimethalin @ 0.75kg a.i/ha as PE fb one hand weeding at 25 and which was followed by with Pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg a.i./ha as PE+ Imazathapyr+ Imazamox@ 40g a.i./ha recorded, gross return (INR 55352 ha-1 and INR 49189 ha-1) net returns (INR 38852 ha-1 and INR 34289 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.35 and 2.20), respectively. Whereas, minimum cost of cultivation (INR 10000 ha-1) and gross returns (INR 25632 ha-1), net returns (INR 15632 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.56) were recorded under weed check. So looking to the laborious pressure of hand weeding, cost effectiveness ease of application of chemical herbicides, application of Pendimethalin 0.75 kg ha-1 fb one hand weeding can be an effective weed control option in cluster bean crop with higher seed and haulm yield under Semi-arid and Arid regions of Rajasthan.</div>

<div>Effect of Different Weed Management Practices on Weed Dynamics, Productivity and Farm Profitability of Cluster Bean</div>

<div>Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most versatile and emerging food crop of global importance. Weeds are ubiquitous but their presence in wide spaced and initially slow growing crop like maize acts as an obstacle for plentiful harvest. Nutrient uptake by weeds during the first thirty days of maize growth was 59 kg N, 10 kg P2O5 and 59 kg K2O per ha, which was 7-10 times higher than the nutrient uptake by maize. 
 
Methods: The present field experiment was conducted during Rabi, 2018-19 under irrigated conditions at wetland farm of S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati andhra Pradesh, with ten treatments and three replications in a randomized block design. 
 
Result: Lower density and dry weight of weeds with higher weed control efficiency, lower nutrient uptake by weeds and higher nutrient up take by maize at 80 DAS, kernel and stover yield was recorded with hand weeding twice at 15 and 30 DAS, which was statistically at par with atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 as PE fb topramezone 30 g ha-1 or tembotrione 120 g ha-1 as PoE or atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 as PE fb HW at 30 DAS, while these were lowest with weedy check. Higher benefit cost ratio of maize was noticed with both atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 as PE fb topramezone 30 g ha-1 as PoE (T3), which was in parity with atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 as PE fb tembotrione 120 g ha-1 as PoE (T2) and hand weeding twice at 15 and 30 DAS (T9). From the present study it may be concluded that atrazine 1.0 kg ha-1 as PE fb topramezone 30 g ha-1 or tembotrione 120 g ha-1 as PoE were considered to be the most effective and economic weed management practices to increase the productivity of Rabi maize at times of labour scarcity.</div>

<div>Weed Dynamics and Nutrient Uptake of Maize as Influenced by Different Weed Management Practices</div>

Background: Groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is known as the &ldquo;King of Oilseeds&rdquo; which belongs to family Fabaceae (Leguminosae). It is highly susceptible to weed infestation because of its slow initial growth up to 40 DAS and small foliage cover. However, study on use of mechanical weed control methods with different fertility regimes for improving the productivity of groundnut was limited. Therefore, the objective of this study was to find a suitable method for optimising the productivity of groundnut. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar for two consecutive years of 2020 and 2021. The field experiment comprised 16 treatment combinations of four weed management practices and four fertility levels. The weed management practice included W1-Pre-emergence (PE) application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg ha-1, W2-Pre-emergence (PE) application of pretilachlor @ 0.5 kg ha-1, W3-Manual weeding (20 and 40 DAS), W4-Twin wheel hoe at 20 DAS followed by (fb) hand weeding at 40 DAS and four fertility levels includes T1-100% RDF (20:40:40) (N: P205: K2O kg ha-1), T2- 75% RDF + 5 tonnes FYM ha-1, T3- 50% RDF + 10 tonnes FYM ha-1, T4- without fertilizer + without FYM.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Amongst the weed management practices, use of twin wheel hoe at 20 DAS followed by hand weeding at 40 DAS significantly reduced the weed density, weed dry weight, weed index and recorded the highest weed control efficiency (69.8%). Highest weed index (32.9) was recorded with the application of pretilachlor @ 0.5 kg ha-1 (PE), which was followed by weed index of (28.5) with application of pendimethalin @ 0.75 kg ha-1 (PE). The fertilizer management practice with application of 50% RDF + 10 tonnes FYM ha-1 gave the highest yield and considerably reduced the total weed density, weed dry weight&nbsp; and recorded the maximum weed control efficiency (71.8 % at harvest). We suggest that weed management with twin wheel hoe at 20 DAS followed by hand weeding at 40 DAS along with application of 50% RDF + 10 tonnes FYM ha-1 as the most effective strategy for controlling the weed menace in groundnut with the highest weed control efficiency.

Weed Dynamics and Crop Productivity as Influenced by Weed Management Practices and Fertility Levels in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

<div>Background: Weeds are widely reported as a key constraint in organic agriculture. Soybean-chickpea is important cropping sequence adopted in Maharashtra State under irrigated condition. Weed management is a serious problem in both the crop and it mostly controlled through chemical weed control. Today, widespread use of herbicides has resulted in purporated environmental and health problem as well as residual problems to succeeding crops. Now a days residue free food requirement is high. In organic farming cultural and mechanical methods are necessary to break the weed cycle. So, keeping this point in view present investigation was carried out to evaluate organic weed management practices on growth, yield and weed control in soybean-chickpea sequence under irrigated condition.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during Kharif and rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19. The present investigation consisted of ten weed management practices viz. two hand weeding at 20-25 and 45-50 DAS, one hoeing 20-25 DAS + one hand weeding at 45-50 DAS, soybean + sunhemp incorporation after 35-40 DAS in kharif season and chickpea + safflower (2:1) in rabi season,&nbsp;stale seed bed + reduced spacing + 2 tonne of wheat straw + one hand weeding at 25&nbsp;DAS, soil mulch at the time of sowing + one hand pulling at 25 DAS, incorporation of neem cake 1.5 tonne/ ha 15 days before sowing + one hand weeding at 25 DAS, soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding&nbsp;at 25 DAS, mulching with straw, weed free and weedy check. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The higher values of growth attributes was recorded by weed free treatment which was on par with two hand weeding at 20-25 and 45-50 DAS and soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding at 25 DAS and significantly superior over rest of the treatments during both the year study. Application of stale seed bed with reduced spacing and 2 tonne of wheat straw along with one hand weeding 25 DAS recorded higher soybean equivalent yield followed by soybean + sunhemp incorporation (35-45DAS) in kharif and chickpea + safflower (2:1) in rabi season during both the year. The lower weed density, dry weight and highest weed control efficiency at 40 days after sowing for both monocot and dicot weeds was recorded by weed free treatment followed by soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding at 25 DAS in soybean and chickpea during both the year.</div>

<div>Evaluation of Organic Weed Management Practices on Growth, Yield and Weed Control Efficiency in Soybean-chickpea Sequence under Irrigated Condition &nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">A field experiment was conducted during autumn, 2014 at ICR Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam to compare three different direct seeded upland rice varieties along with different integrated weed and nutrient management practices. The experiment was carried out in factorial randomized block design replicated thrice with 15 treatments involving 3 varieties: Inglongkiri, Maizubiron and Rasi along with 5 treatments of weed and nutrient management, i.e. 20-10-10 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O + &nbsp;pretilachlor @ 750 g/ha followed by grubber 30 DAS (W1), 30-15-15 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O + pretilachlor @ 750 g/ha followed by grubber 30 DAS (W2), &nbsp;10-5-5 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O &nbsp;+ pretilachlor @ 750 g/ha followed by grubber 30 DAS + Vermicompost @ 1 t/ha &nbsp; (split equally at sowing &amp; 30 DAS) + Sesbania (Sesbania aculeata) green mulch (up to 30 days) (W3), &nbsp;10-5-5 kg/ha &nbsp;N-P2O5-K2O + pretilachlor @ 750 g/ha followed by grubber 30 DAS with intra-row spacing 15cm (W4), &nbsp;and 20-10-10 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O + Weedy check (W5). The predominant weed floras observed in the experimental field were Ageratum conyzoides, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus rotundus and Cyperus iria. Treatment W3 resulted significantly lowest weed population at all growth stages. Weed dry weight was significantly lowest with application of 30-15-15 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O along with pretilachlor @ 750 g a.i./ha and grubber 30 DAS at 20, 60 DAS and at harvest of rice crop. The results revealed an increase in yields as evident by higher grain and straw yield for all the three varieties with pre-emergence application of pretilachlor (750g a.i./ha) + grubber 30 days after sowing + 30-15-15 kg/ha of N-P2O5-K2O.&nbsp;</div>

Weed dynamics and yield of direct seeded upland autumn rice (oryza sativa l.) Varieties as influenced by integrated weed and nutrient management practices

<div>Background: Weeds are prime factor that adversely effects on growth, quality and yield of mungbean during summer and rainy season. Being a short duration crop, it faces heavy weed competition right from the early growth stages to harvesting. The critical period of crop weed competition in mungbean was initial 25-30 days, yield may be reduce up to 50-90% if weeds not manage at this stage. Hence, there is a need to find out the successful weed management strategies to realize higher growth and yield. The progressive transformation of agriculture concerning intensive use of herbicides is gaining status in recent years due to easy, lower cost, timeliness and successful controlling weeds. Therefore, keeping above information in view, the present study was undertaken to assess the effect of different weed management practices in summer mungbean under zero tillage condition to find out the better weed management, higher productivity and profitability. 
 
Methods: In this field-laboratory investigation during summer season, 2019, different herbicides were applied to manage weeds in mungbean. Eight treatments were applied based on various application windows. In the field and laboratory, the collected samples were determined for crop weed competition, yield attributes, yields and net returns. &nbsp; 
 
Result: The results revealed that weed free treatment was recorded lowest weed population at 30 DAS and harvest (1.8 and 2.9), weed dry weight (1.1 and 1.9g) and highest weed control efficiency (96.3 and 94.9%) followed by Pendimethalin (PE) fb one HW and Shaked (Propaquizafop + Imezathyper) application. The similar results also observed in nutrients removed by weeds. Among yield attributes, weed free treatment recorded the longest pod length, no. of pods/plant, no. of seeds/pod and test weight (7.9, 21.0, 9.7 and 43.0g, respectively) which was at par with Pendimethalin (PE) fb one HW and Shaked (Propaquizafop + Imezathyper) application. The magnitude of seed yield was increased under weed free (10.1 q/ha) and Shaked (Propaquizafop + Imezathyper) (9.5 q/ha) treatments by 127.9 and 113.8%, respectively over weedy check. Application of Shaked (Propaquizafop + Imezathyper) recorded highest net returns (Rs 55,079/ha) and B: C (2.8) over rest of the treatments. It can concluded that application of Shaked (Propaquizafop + Imezathyper) @ 2 L/ha at 20 DAS recommended for better weed control, higher yield and net returns of summer mungbean under zero tillage condition.</div>

<div>Effect of Weed Management Practices on Weed Dynamics, Nutrient Depletion, Productivity and Profitability of Summer Mungbean (Vigna radiata) under Zero Tillage Condition</div>

Background: The field experiment was conducted at the Anbil Dharmalingam Agricultural College and Research Institute, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu during rabi, 2022-2023 to study the influence of spacing and weed management practices on growth characters, nutrient removal by weeds and nutrient uptake of direct seeded rice (DSR).&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The field experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The main plots were spacing of 20 &times; 15 cm, 20 &times; 20 cm and 25 &times; 25 cm. Sub plots were assigned with weed management practices viz., pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE, Pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g&nbsp; a.i ha-1 on&nbsp; 3 DAS as PE + Cono weeding on 20 DAS + hand weeding (HW) on 40 DAS, Pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Cono weeding on 20 DAS and 40 DAS, Pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + Cono weeding on 40 DAS, Pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + Hand weeding on 40 DAS, Hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS and unweeded control.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results indicated that the highest growth attributes, higher nutrient uptake of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium under DSR and were significantly improved by spacing 20 &times; 20 cm along with pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i&nbsp; ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + Cono weeding on 40 DAS. This was on par with pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g&nbsp; a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + Hand weeding on 40 DAS and hand weeding on 20 and 40 DAS. Similarly lower nutrient removal by weeds were registered under 20 &times; 15 cm spacing along with pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + cono weeding on 40 DAS. The interaction of spacing 20 &times; 20 cm and pyrazosulfuron ethyl 10% WP at 20 g a.i ha-1 on 3 DAS&nbsp; as PE + Bispyribac sodium 10% SC at 25 g a.i ha-1 on 20 DAS as PoE + Cono weeding on 40 DAS significantly increased the growth attributes such as plant height, dry matter production and total numbers of tillers and significantly lowered the nutrient removal by weeds.&nbsp;

Influence of Spacing and Weed Management Practices on the Growth Characters, Nutrient Removal of Weeds and Nutrient Uptake of Direct Seeded Rice