Archives of Current Research International

The present study was conducted during the kharif season of 2024 at a farmer’s field in Socunoma village, Chumoukedima, Nagaland, with the objective of assessing the response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to pre- and post-emergence herbicides under the wet terrace system of Nagaland. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications and eight treatments. The rice variety Ranjit was selected as the test crop and established through transplanting. The major weed flora in the experimental field consisted of grassy weeds (Echinochloa colona, E. crusgalli), sedges (Cyperus difformis, C. esculentus), and broad-leaved weeds (Euphorbia hirta, Monochoria vaginalis). Significant effects were observed in T₂ (hand weeding at 15, 30, and 45 DAT), which proved most effective in reducing both weed density (2.69, 2.70, and 3.34 weeds m⁻², respectively) and biomass (1.33, 1.40, and 1.58 g m⁻²) compared to other treatments. Among the herbicide-based treatments, T₇ (Pretilachlor 37% EW @ 1.5 L ha⁻¹ at 3 DAT + hand weeding at 30 DAT) and T₈ (Pyrazosulfuron-ethyl @ 15 g ha⁻¹ at 5 DAT + Bispyribac sodium 10 EC @ 30 g ha⁻¹ at 25 DAT) effectively suppressed grassy, sedge, and broad-leaved weeds throughout the crop growth period. In contrast, T₁ (weedy check) recorded the maximum weed density and biomass at different crop growth stages. In terms of weed control efficiency, treatment T₂ achieved the highest efficiency at 95.80%. Conversely, the weed index was greatest in T₁ (weedy check) at 44.44%, signifying severe yield reduction. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of timely manual interventions in suppressing weed growth. Moreover, the integration of pre- and post-emergence herbicides, particularly treatments T₇ and T₈, significantly reduced the weed index, thereby indicating their potential to enhance rice yield. When combined with manual weeding, this strategy provides a highly effective, sustainable and practical approach to weed management in rice-based cropping systems.