Weeds management in dry direct-seeded rice

Experiments on weeds management in dry seeded rice were conducted at the experimental area of Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore during the Kharif seasons of 2007 and 2008 and was laid out in randomized complete block design using three replications with a plot size of 6m x 10m. During each year, drill sowing was done on 10th of June. Different treatments of weeds control studied were Bispyribac-sodium, Bispyribac-sodium + hand weeding, Ethoxysulfuron, Ethoxysulfuron + Hand weeding, Single Hand weeding and Double Hand weeding were compared with weedy check (where no weeds were eradicated). Spray of herbicides + single hand weeding was done at 21 days after souring while 2nd hand weeding was done at 35 DAS during both the years. Maximum weeds control (97.2%) was achieved by double hand weeding which was statistically at par with Bispyribac-sodium and hand weeding (94.5%) during the 1st year, while during the 2nd year maximum control of weeds (98.3%) was found in case of Bispyribac-sodium + hand weeding, which was at par with double hand weeding (93.5%) and Ethoxysulfuron + hand weeding (93.0%). Regarding number of tillers m-2 Bispyribac-sodium + hand weeding produced maximum tillers m-2 (338) and 297 m-2 for both the years 2007 & 2008 respectively which was statistically at par with double hand weeding. The lowest number of tillers m-2 was found in weedy check i.e. 93 and 30 in both years respectively. Filled grains panicle-1 and panicle length was also higher in case of Bispyribac-sodium & hand weeding during both the years as compared to control plots. As regards paddy yield, Bispyribac-sodium + hand weeding gave the maximum yield 3.2 t/ha and 4.0 t/ha for the 2007 + 2008 respectively and it was statistically at par with double hand weeding (3.0 t/ha + 3.3 t/ha), while the lowest yield was recorded in untreated plots i.e. 0.9 + 1.1 t/ha respectively.