Efficacy of Weed Management Practices on Weed Dynamics and Productivity of Blackgram

A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2018 at the Agronomy Main Research Farm, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar to study the effect of Integrated weed management in blackgram. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with a total of eight treatments replicated thrice. Important predominant grass, sedge and broad-leaved weeds found in the experimental field were Eleusine indica (12.6%), Cyperus rotundus (8.9%) and Celosia argentea (9.7%), respectively. Severe weed competition in kharif blackgram recorded a yield loss of 66.7% in this experiment. Post Emergence application of Imazethapyr @ 0.75 kg/ha at 120 Days after sowing followed by one Hand Weeding at 30 DAS recorded lowest weed density (25.33 no./m2), weed dry weight (38.98 g/m2); highest weed control efficiency (83.4%) and lowest weed index (7.0%) at harvest

Effect of Establishment Methods and Organic Nutrient Management Practices on Productivity and Profitability of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana L.) in Lateritic Soils of Odisha

A field experiment was carried out during kharif seasons in 2020 and 2021 at Agronomy Main Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar to study effect of crop establishment method and organic nutrient management on finger millet ('Arjuna' variety). The experiment was laid out in a split plot design and replicated thrice. The treatments comprised of 2 methods of crop establishment viz. conventional method of line transplanting (20 cm x 10 cm) and system of finger millet intensification (25 cm X 25 cm ) in main plot with application of 4 organic nutrient sources viz. farm yard manure (FYM) @ 100% recommended nitrogen dose (RDN), FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50% RDN (top dressing) and FYM @ 25% RDN (basal) + toria oil cake @ 25% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (topdressing) allotted to sub plot in finger millet during Kharif season. System of finger millet intensification (SFMI) method of establishment resulted in superior yield attributes, grain yield (2,051 kg ha-1), straw yield (2,901 kg ha-1) and harvest index (41.42%) in finger millet than line transplanting. Yield attributes, grain yield (2,092 kg ha-1), straw yield (2,889 kg ha-1 ) and harvest index (42.00 %) were higher with the application of FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing) in finger millet and was statistically similar with application of FYM @ 25% RDN (basal) + toria oil cake @ 25% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing). The benefit cost ratio was higher in SFMI and with the application of FYM @ 50% RDN (basal) + Vermicompost @ 50 % RDN (top dressing) to finger millet

Weed Management and Crop Establishment Methods in Rice (<i>Oryza sativa</i> L.) Influence the Soil Microbial and Enzymatic Activity in Sub-Tropical Environment

Weed management has become the most important and inevitable aspect of crop management for achieving a higher rice yield. Nowadays, chemical herbicide application has become a popular practice for managing weeds in different rice cultures. However, herbicide application can have qualitative and quantitative impacts on soil microorganisms and soil enzymes, particularly in the case of new herbicide molecules and their indiscriminate use for a longer period. Further, different rice establishment methods also play a significant role in soil microbial population dynamics as well as soil biological properties. Keeping these in view, a field experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Main Research Farm, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), India, during the kharif season of 2016 and 2017, on the impact of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on soil microbial and enzymatic status. The field experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications with four crop establishment methods in the main plot, viz., M1, Direct Seeded Rice (DSR); M2, Wet Seeded Rice (WSR); M3,Unpuddled Transplanted Rice (NPTR); M4, Puddled Transplanted Rice (PTR), and six weed management practices in the sub-plot, viz., W1, Weedy check; W2, Bensulfuron methyl 0.6% + Pretilachlor 6% (pre-emergence (PE)) 0.660 kg ha−1 + Hand weeding (HW) at 30 days after sowing/transplanting (days after sowing/transplanting (DAS/T)); W3, Bensulfuron methyl 0.6% + Pretilachlor 6% (PE) 0.495 kg ha−1 + HW at 30 DAS/T; W4, Bensulfuron methyl 0.6% + Pretilachlor 6% (PE) 0.495 kg ha−1 + Bispyribac-Sodium (post-emergence(POE)) 0.025 kg ha−1 at 15 DAS/T; W5, Cono weeding (CW) at 15 DAS/T + hand weeding 30 DAS/T, and W6, Brown manuring/Green manuring. The initial decline in the microbial population was observed due to herbicide application in NPTR and PTR up to 7 DAS/T and then it increased up to 28 DAS/T. There was a reduction in soil microbial and enzymatic status after the application of herbicides Bensulfuron methyl 0.6% + Pretilachlor 6% (PE) and Bispyribac-Sodium (POE) that again followed an upward graph with crop age. Significant variation in enzymatic activity and the microbial count was also observed among treatments involving crop establishment methods. The study revealed that improved microbial population and enzyme activity were noted in unpuddled transplanted rice under organic weed management due to favorable conditions, and chemical weed control initially affected microbial population and activities

Integrated Nutrient Management Improves the Growth and Yield of Rice and Greengram in a Rice—Greengram Cropping System under the Coastal Plain Agro-Climatic Condition

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance