Efficacy of herbicides and mulching for controlling weeds in transplanted rice

The efficacy of selected herbicides along with mulching for weed control in transplanted rice was evaluated under temperate conditions of Kashmir during wet seasons of 2006 and 2007. All the weed control treatments were superior to weedy conditions. Butachlor (1kg a.i. ha⁻¹3–5 days after transplanting) + brown sarson (Brassica campestris) straw mulching and pretilachlor (1 kg a.i. ha⁻¹3–5 days after transplanting) + brown sarson straw mulching had a mean grain yield of 9.3 and 9.2, respectively and were significantly superior to herbicide combination treatments viz. butachlor (1 kg a.i. ha⁻¹) followed by (fb) 2,4-D (0.5 kg a.i. ha⁻¹20 days after transplanting) or pretilachlor (1 kg a.i. ha⁻¹) 2,4-D (0.5 kg a.i. ha⁻¹). All the weed control treatments resulted in higher uptake of nitrogen. Among weed control combination treatments, butachlor (1kg ha⁻¹) + brown sarson straw mulching and pretilachlor (1 kg a.i. ha⁻¹) + brown sarson straw mulching proved most profitable with net returns of Rs 35,813 ha⁻¹and Rs 35,294 ha⁻¹and benefit: cost ratio of 1.63 and 1.60, respectively.