Weed management practices in direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.): A review

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important staple crop in India, where it is mainly grown by manual trans planting of seedlings into puddled soil. Recently, however, there is a trend toward direct seeded rice use of labor and water scarcity. In DSR, weeds are the main biological constraint. The success of direct seeding is almost totally depend on effective weed control, so weed control is the key factor in direct seeded rice. Due to changes in crop physiology and increased weed invasion, the degree of flooding in rice may lead to reduced yields. If weeds are managed, then direct sowing culture can evenly be successful as compared to transplanting method. Herbicides are used to manage weeds in DSR systems, but the use of herbicides alone does not provide effective and sustainable weed control. Therefore, there is a need to integrate herbicide use with cultural weed management approaches; hence, it is necessary to evaluate different pre and post emergence herbicides to provide wider option to the farmers for weed control in direct seeded rice.