Performance of zero-till wheat (Triticum aestvium L.) with residue and weed management techniques under rice-wheat cropping system

An experiment was conducted during at Varanasi to find out the effect of residue management with Trichoderma application and weed management practices (W_1--Control, W₂-Hand weeding at 30 & 45 DAS, W₃-Isoproturon + 2, 4-D (1.0 + 0.5 kg ha⁻¹) at 30 DAS, W₄-Fenoxaprop 120 g ha⁻¹ fb Metsulfuron 4 g ha⁻¹) on growth, yield attributes and yield of wheat (Triticum aestvium L.) with weed density, WCE and net returns. The residue retention with Trichoderma application produced significantly higher crop growth, yield attributes, grain and straw yield as compared to residue retention alone and residue removal. Among the weedicide option fenoxaprop fb metsulfuron treatment was found most effective in controlling weed population and produced significantly higher grain (3355.06 and 3722.27 kg⁻¹ ha) and straw yields (5050.23 and 5332.77 kg⁻¹ ha) and higher weed control efficiency (74.19 & 75.07%). Out of herbicides, Isoproturon + 2, 4-D gave the highest net return as compared to fenoxaprop fb metsulfuron followed by hand weeding twice.