Integrated weed management in direct-seeded rice under irrigated conditions: A critical review of strategies, performance, and sustainability

Abstract:

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) has emerged as a viable alternative to traditional puddle transplanted rice due to its advantages in saving water, labor, and time. But still the major problem of weed infestation is lingering around which is creating hindrance in its fruitfulness. This problem accelerates especially in the situations where the irrigation demands less standing water as this condition is favorable for weed infestation. The Approach of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) to manage weed infestation is becoming increasingly significant in the domain of Agriculture especially for the method of DSR .Because of its climate friendly approach it has gained the importance. This review aims to compile the recent research regarding practice IMW in relation to DSR from different researches and review. The review explores the ways to suppress weed by herbicide dependent strategy. But this comes with its own limitations such as increasing resistance pattern and Environmental Challenges. Traditional methods like crop rotation, stale seedbed and residue mulching have been proven effective in controlling weed growth by changing the competitive interaction between weed and crop. Although Mechanical techniques are effective but are highly manual and time consuming. The hybrid approach which combines mechanical methods with stepwise application of pre and post emergence herbicide method are economic friendly, have better efficiency in weed control, and also results in high yield of grain. The review also focuses on methods specific to location and ecology of weed. Further study may consider focusing more on environmental friendly herbicides, accurate technique to manage weed infestation to make DSR system better.