Investigating the impact of integrated weed management practices on weed control and productivity in drum seeded rice (DSR)

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the Navarai season (January-April 2025) at the wetland farm of SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu, to evaluate the efficacy of integrated weed management practices in drum-seeded rice. The study followed a Randomized Block Design (RBD) comprising ten treatments replicated thrice, involving combinations of pre-emergence (PE), early post-emergence (EPoE), and post-emergence (PoE) herbicides along with hand weeding and power weeding. Results revealed that T3 (PE Bensulfuron-methyl + Pretilachlor fb PoE Florpyrauxifen-benzyl + Cyhalofop-butyl) was most effective producing lower weed dry weight at 40 and 60 DAS (19.90 and 31.96 g/m²). T3 also produced the highest grain yield (5,550 kg/ha) and straw yield (7,215 kg/ha), highlighting the effectiveness of sequential herbicide application. The study concludes that combining PE and PoE herbicides presents an effective strategy for weed suppression and productivity enhancement in drum-seeded rice systems.