Impact of crop establishment techniques and weed management practices on Oryza sativa L. growth and yield

Due to increased demand, labor costs, and water scarcity, farmers look for an alternative way of rice cultivation under prevailing conventional transplanting. Direct‐seeded Oryza sativa and system of rice intensification (SRI) have been developed as superior substitutes to transplanting. However, if weeds are not controlled properly, the direct seeding method faces serious weed infestation and yield losses. In this context, a field study was undertaken during kharif growing seasons to evaluate the growth and yield of O. sativa under various crop establishment methods and weed management practices. The results revealed that system of rice intensification (SRI) method of crop establishment significantly produced taller plants, higher dry matter accumulation, a greater number of tillers per meter square, highest leaf area index, yield attributes, namely, panicle density, panicle length, and grains per panicle, and higher grain and straw yield over direct seeded rice (DSR) and transplanted O. sativa. Among the various weed management practices, penoxsulam produced significantly higher grain and straw yield. The results demonstrated that average grain yield increase with SRI was reported to be 24.11% and 23.62% over DSR and 10.47% and 12.23% over transplanted O. sativa. Among various establishment techniques, lower weed density and dry weed biomass were achieved by transplanting O. sativa. Penoxsulam herbicides significantly reduced the weed density and dry weed biomass but penoxsulam herbicide demonstrated significantly the maximum reduction in number of weeds per meter square and dry weed biomass and proved superior against complex weed flora. Core Ideas Agriculture plays a vital role in global food production, encompassing the cultivation of crops, raising livestock, and the management of agricultural resources. Establishment methods in agriculture refer to the techniques and practices used to initiate and establish crops or livestock in a productive and sustainable manner. Growth and weed management practices in agriculture involve strategies and approaches aimed at promoting healthy crop growth while effectively controlling and minimizing the impact of weeds, which can compete with crops for resources and reduce yields.