Two years of field investigation was laid to evaluate the effect of tillage and weed management practices on weed growth and productivity of sali rice in a Sesbania aculeata (S)-transplanted/direct seeded rice (TR/DSR)-Indian mustard (IM) cropping sequence during 2017-19 at the Instructional-cum-Research (ICR) farm, Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat. Treatment, minimum tillage/MT (S)-conventional tillage/CT (TR)-minimum tillage (IM) improved growth parameters, yield attributes as well as yield and recorded an increase in grain yield by 40.22 and 26.26% in 2017 and 2018, respectively with substantial reduction in weed density and weed dry matter over MT(S)-CT(DSR)-CT(IM) (T3). Furthermore, among the weed management practices integrated weed management (IWM) and manual weeding (MW) recorded higher weed control efficiency and weed control index, and noted respective increase in grain yield of rice by 83.82 and 80.78% in 2017 and 93.29 and 98.83% in 2018 as compared to weedy check.

Minimum tillage, Integrated weed management, Weed control efficiency and Weed control index

It can be concluded from the present investigation that in terms of rice growth and productivity, tillage systems MT(S)-CT(TR)-MT(IM) and MT(S)-MT(DSR)-MT+R(IM) and among different weed management treatments two manual weeding and integrated weed management practices were the most effective. However, further investigation in different sali rice based cropping sequences of Assam must be done to assess the effect of tillage system and weed management practices.

Sontara Kalita, Jayanta Deka, Khagen Kurmi, Ramani Kanta Thakuria, Dhruba Jyoti Nath, Kaushik Das and Pompy Deka (2023). Evaluation of Conventional and Minimum Tillage System and Weed Management Practices on Weed Growth and Rice Productivity in a Rice based Cropping Sequence. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(11): 01-05.