On farm demonstration of herbicide usage in transplanted rice

An on-farm field demonstration was conducted involving herbicide in order to reduce drudgery of farm women in transplanted rice at village Mirzapur, Rangareddy District (Andhra Pradesh) during wet season 2011. The study revealed that plant height, tiller number m⁻², panicle number m⁻², panicle length, grain number panicle⁻¹, filled and unfilled grain panicle⁻¹, panicle weight, grain yield and straw yield differed significantly for different treatments under study. The mean maximum grain yield was recorded in the treatment plot of improved practice + herbicide application (5.39 t ha⁻¹) and significantly superior to all other treatments. Improved practice was also significantly superior to farmer's practice (4.70 t ha⁻¹) as well as farmers practice + herbicide (4.96 t ha⁻¹). Intervention of herbicide has reduced cost of cultivation and more net returns with higher Benefit Cost ratio as well as reduced the operational drudgery of farm women in transplanted rice.