Weed management in maize (Zea mays L.) through integration of micro irrigation, mulch and herbicide
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Date
2020
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Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana
Abstract
A field experiment “Weed management in maize (Zea mays L.) through integration of micro irrigation, mulch and herbicide” was carried out at Students‟ Research Farm Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University , Ludhiana during Kharif seasons of 2018 and 2019. The experimental design was split-plot with four replications. Three irrigation methods viz. subsurface drip, surface drip and conventional flood were allotted to main-plots and four weed control treatments viz. unweeded check, paddy straw mulch (7.5 t ha-1), plastic mulch (25 μm) and tembotrione 110 g ha-1 as post emergence were allotted to sub-plots. Cyperus rotundus, Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Acrachne racemosa, Echinochloa colona, Echinochloa crusgalli, Eleusine indica, Digitaria sanguinalis and Eragrotis tenella were dominant weed species. Among irrigation methods, sub-surface drip had lower weed density and biomass than conventional flood in 2018; irrigation methods had no effect on weeds in 2019. In 2018, subsurface drip gave significantly higher grain yield (5.39 t ha-1) than surface drip (5.21 t ha-1) and flood method (5.07 t ha-1) while all irrigation methods gave similar maize grain yield in 2019. Among weed control, tembotrione had lowest total weed density and biomass which was similar to paddy straw mulch in both years. In 2018, paddy straw mulch gave significantly higher grain yield (5. 77 t ha-1) than plastic mulch (5.46 t ha-1) and tembotrione (5.38 t ha-1), and, in 2019, all weed control treatments had similar grain yield. Paddy straw mulch increased yield by 27% in 2018 and 24% in 2019.In 2018, combination of sub-surface drip and paddy straw mulch gave significantly higher grain yield than all other treatment combinations. Sub-surface drip and paddy straw mulch combination increased grain yield by 48% than conventional flood and unweeded check; in 2019, all interactions were non-significant. Among irrigation methods, in 2018, sub-surface drip had higher water use (481 mm). In 2019 irrigation methods had no effect on water use. Among weed control, paddy straw mulch had higher water use of 485 mm in 2018 and 479 mm in 2019. Water productivity was similar in the two years.