Alleviation of herbicide load in maize (Zea mays) through paddy straw mulching and herbicide use

A field experiment was conducted at 2 locations, Ludhiana and Gurdaspur, Punjab, during kharif 2017, to determine the effect of paddy straw mulching and herbicides on reduction of herbicide load in maize (Zea mays L.). Paddy straw mulch (PSM) at 9.0 t/ha resulted in highest weed-control efficiency, yield parameters, net returns, benefit: cost ratio and lowest weed index as compared to PSM 6.25 t/ha and no mulch treatments. Post-emergence application of tembotrione at 0.088 and 0.110 kg/ha resulted in highest WCE (96.3%) and was effective in lowering weed density and biomass as compared to atrazine at 0.8 and 1.0 kg/ha as pre-emergence. Tembotrione at 0.088 kg/ha in combination with paddy straw mulch (9.0 t/ha) recorded significantly lower weed density and drymatter accumulation of all weed species and resulted in significantly higher grain yield, net returns and benefit: cost ratio which were statistically similar with tembotrione at 0.110 kg/ha in combination with paddy straw mulch 9.0 t/ha but significantly higher than all other combinations of straw mulch and herbicides. Therefore, for getting higher productivity and profitability from maize, apply tembotrione at 0.088 kg/ha as post-emergence in combination with paddy straw mulch 9.0 t/ha, as this herbicide-mulch combination helped in reduction of 20% dose of herbicide.