Conservation agriculture and weed management effects on weed community and crop productivity of a rice-maize rotation
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Date
2024-05
Authors
Sahoo, Subhra
Seleiman, Mahmoud F.
Roy, Dhirendra Kumar
Ranjan, Shivani
Sow, Sumit
Jat, Raj Kumar
Alhammad, Bushra A.
Gitari, Harun
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Heliyon
Abstract
In recent years, an increase in weed infestation, which is adversely affecting crop growth and productivity has been a major challenge facing the farmers of South Asia. The adoption of a permanent bed in combination with residue retention-based crop management practices may reduce weed abundance and increase crop productivity. In a two-year field study, we evaluated the responses of different organic weed management practices with contrasting tillage and residue (R) management strategies to weed dynamics and crop productivity under rice-maize rotation. The main plot treatments consisted of zero-tillage direct seeded rice and zero-tillage maize (ZTR fb ZTM); ZTDSR and maize both on permanent raised beds with residue (PBDSR+R fb PBDSM+R); PBDSR and PBM without residue (PBDSR-R fb PBDSM-R) and conventional tillage puddled transplanted rice and conventional tillage maize (CTR fb CTM). The subplots comprised unweeded control; vermicompost mulch; P- enriched vermicompost mulch; live mulch with Sesbania spp. in rice and Pisum sativum in maize and weed-free. Total weed density and biomass in rice and maize at 30 days after sowing (DAS) were minimum for PBDSR+R fb PBDSM+R compared to remaining tillage and residue management practices in both years. Apart from weed-free treatment, the highest weed control index was found with live mulch. Yield of rice and maize were found higher in permanent beds along with residue retention-based practices. In rice, the weed-free treatment showed the highest grain yield and live mulch reported 9.8 and 6.8% higher grain yield than vermicompost mulch and P-enriched vermicompost mulch respectively. Our study shows that conservation agriculture practices under rice-maize rotation is one of the ways to reduce weed density and improve crop productivity in South Asia and other similar agro-ecologies.
Description
Article
Keywords
Conservation agriculture, Maize, Organic weed management, Rice, Residue management, Tillage
Citation
Sahoo, Subhra & Seleiman, Mahmoud & Roy, Dhirendra & Ranjan, Shivani & Sow, Sumit & Jat, Raj & Alhammad, Bushra & Gitari, Harun. (2024). Conservation agriculture and weed management effects on weed community and crop productivity of a rice-maize rotation. Heliyon. 10. e31554. 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31554.