Evaluation of different planting methods and herbicides for weed management in maize and their residual effect on succeeding wheat crop

Maize (Zea mays L.) production is affected by severe weed infestation due to frequent rainfall during wet season (Kharif) and inadequate interculture practices adoption by farmers. Thus, alternative integrated weed management practices need to be developed for effective management of weeds in maize. Hence, an experiment was conducted, during 2020-21 and 2021-22, using strip plot design with ten planting methods in main plots and four weed control treatments in sub plots. Greater grassy, broad-leaved and sedges density reduction along with maximum wheat and maize yield was observed with the raised bed wide bed planting with paddy residue (6 t/ha) fb zero till (ZT) wheat reshaping of beds, compared to sowing of maize with pneumatic planter without residues fb ZT wheat which had maximum density of all types of weeds. Surface mulching of paddy residue and sowing of maize on raised bed wide bed planting fb ZT wheat reshaping of beds reduced grassy (86.0-89.0%), broad-leaved weeds (44.8-50.8%) and sedges (80.2-83.5%) density significantly as compared to the same planting methods without surface mulching. The higher reduction in weed biomass of grassy (79.3-80.7%), broad-leaved weeds (82.4-84.1%) and sedges (82.7-87.8%), in comparison to weedy check, was recorded with tembotrione 120 g/ha. Tembotrione 120 g/ha PoE at 15 DAS recorded the highest gross returns, net returns and highest B:C ratio, due to the lowest cost of cultivation, during both years of study.