Stale Seedbed Technique for the Management of Sacciolepis interrupta in Semi-dry Rice

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to test the feasibility of stale seedbed technique for the management of Sacciolepis interrupta (Willd.) Stapf, a problem grass weed in semi-dry rice. Adoption of stale seedbed technique reduced the competition from all the weeds including S. interrupta. Stale seedbed with paraquat showed reduced weed incidence than stale seedbed with hoeing. Pre-emergence application of oxyfluorfen 0.15 kg ha−1 was efficient in reducing Sacciolepis problem, but it could not control other weeds beyond 15 days after sowing. Yield attributing characters of rice like number of productive tillers per m2 and percentage of filled grains were significantly high in stale seedbed plots. In terms of grain yield, straw yield and uptake of nutrients also, the stale seedbed treatments were superior to normal sowing.