Effect of bentazone herbicide on yields and economics of direct seeded rice

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2017 at Research Farm of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh to study the “Effect of Bentazone herbicide on Yields and Economics of Direct Seeded Rice” under edaphic and climatic conditions of Jabalpur (M.P.). The soil of experimental site was Sandy Clay loam in texture, medium in organic carbon (0.62%), available nitrogen (285 kg/ha), available phosphorus (17.45 kg/ha) and potassium (260 kg/ha) with neutral PH (7.1). The dominant weeds associated with direct seeded rice in the experimental field were mainly comprised of monocot (Echinochloa colona), sedge (Cyperus iria) and dicot weeds (Mullogo pentaphylla, Phylanthus niuri, Eclipta alba, Corchorus olitorius and Alternanthera philoxeroides). Experiment consists of total ten treatments comprising of seven doses of Bentazone 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1600, 1800 and 2000 g/ha, 2,4-D 380 g/ha as post-emergence, hand weeding twice (20 and 40 DAS) including weedy check, were laid out in randomized block design with 3 replications. Results indicated that the post-emergence application of Bentazone @ 800 g/ha was found economically best suitable for effective control of dicot weeds in direct seeded rice. This treatment also enhanced growth parameters (viz. plant height, number of tillers/m²), yield attributes (viz. effective tillers/m², total and sound grains/panicle) and yields (grain and straw) as compared to rest of the doses. It also produced higher B: C ratio (1.77) therefore application of Bentazone @ 800 g/ha was found more remunerative.