Weed removal and crop nutrient uptake as affected by tillage and herbicides in direct-seeded rice-yellow mustard cropping sequence

A field experiment was conducted during rainy seasons of 2019 and 2020 to evaluate the impact of different tillage and herbicides on the nutrient removal by weeds and productivity of direct-seeded rice (DSR). The treatments consisted two tillage practices, viz. zero tillage (ZT) and conventional tillage (CT) in the main plot and six herbicide combinations [oxadiargyl followed by (fb) bispyribac-sodium, penoxsulam + cyhalofop-butyl, oxadiargyl fb penoxsulam + cyhalofopbutyl, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron, oxadiargyl fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron and pendimethalin fb bispyribac-sodium] along with two control treatments (unweeded and weed free check) in the subplots of DSR. Total N, P and K removal by weed in unweeded control was 37.29, 47.12 and 35.86% higher under CT than under ZT. Oxadiargyl fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron and oxadiargyl fb penoxsulam + cyhalofop-butyl registered the lowest total weed biomass, weed nutrient removal and higher nutrient uptake, crop yield and net return of DSR.