Bio-efficacy of bentazon against weeds in direct seeded rice under Kymore Plateau and Satpura hill zone

The experiment was conducted at Research Farm of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India to study the “Bio-efficacy of Bentazon against Weeds in Direct Seeded Rice under Kymore Plateau and Satpura Hill zone” during kharif season of 2016 under edaphic and climatic conditions of Jabalpur (M.P.). The dominant weeds associated with direct seeded rice in the experimental field comprised of monocot like Echinochloa colona and Dinebra retroflexa, sedges like Cyperus iria and dicot weeds including Mullogo pentaphylla and Alternanthera philoxeroides. Experiment consisted of total ten treatments comprising of seven doses of Bentazon 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1600, 1800 and 2000 g/ha, 2,4-D 380 g/ha as post-emergence, hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAS including weedy check, the experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with 03 replications. The post-emergence application of Bentazon at 1600 g/ha was found economically best suitable for effective control of dicot weeds in direct seeded rice. This treatment also enhanced the growth parameters (viz. plant height, number of tillers/m²), yield attributes (viz. effective tillers/m², total and sound grains/panicle) and yield (grain and straw) as compared to rest of the treatments. It also produced higher benefit cost (B:C) ratio (2.2) therefore application of Bentazon 1600 g/ha was found more remunerative and productive.

• Post-emergence application of Bentazon at 1600 g/ha controlled broadleaf weeds in direct seeded rice.

• Bentazon @1600 g/ha was the economically viable treatment.