Bispyribac-sodium, Nutrient uptake, Pretilachlor, Sequential herbicides, Transplanted rice, Weed control efficiency 

A research experiment was conducted in 2020 and 2021 at the Kalyani D-Block Farm, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani, West Bengal, India to assess the performance of sequential herbicide applications in managing diverse weed flora and improving the productivity of transplanted rice. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with four replications. Nine treatments, with various combinations of pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicides with different modes of action, were evaluated. The pre-emergence application (PE) of pretilachlor 50% EC (pretilachlor) 0.70 kg/ha followed by (fb) cono-weeder operation was most effective in suppressing both grasses and broad-leaved weeds, recording highest weed control efficiency and rice grain yield. It was statistically comparable to the sequential application of pretilachlor 0.70 kg/ha PE fb post-emergence application (PoE) of bispyribac-Na 25 g/ha at 25 DAT. Both treatments have significantly enhanced rice plant growth attributes viz., plant height, biomass and improved nutrient uptake. Thus, pretilachlor 0.70 kg/ha PE fb bispyribac-Na 25 g/ha PoE offers an efficient, profitable and sustainable weed management solution for transplanted rice.