Weed dynamics and system productivity under rice-based cropping system

An experiment was carried out during 2008–09 and 2009–10 at Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh to determine the influence of rice-based cropping system on the weed dynamics. The rice-fallow system had the higher density (1364 and 1435/m²) of Echinochloa colona, which was gradually reduced with increasing cropping intensity and the lowest density was under rice-garden pea system (20.0 - 20.9/m²). Increasing irrigation frequency increased the density of E. colona. In Rabi season, rice-wheat and rice-garden pea cropping systems were found highly infested with weeds as compared to rice-fallow, rice-chickpea and rice- summer maize systems. The highest rice equivalent yield was recorded under rice-chickpea (7.20–7.76 t/ha) cropping system.