Bispyribac-sodium, Chlorimuron-ethyl, Premix herbicide, Metsulfuron-methyl, Transplanted rice, Weed management

Prevention of weed competition during the critical period of rice necessitates the identification of effective and economic options to manage weeds to enhance the rice productivity. Hence, an experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of a new post-emergent herbicide bispyribac-sodium + metsulfuron-methyl + chlorimuron-ethyl (pre-mix) in managing mixed weed flora and improving transplanted rice productivity. Ten treatments were evaluated, during the kharif seasons of 2019 and 2020, at the Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, using a randomized complete block design replicated thrice. The post-emergence application (PoE) of bispyribac-sodium 38% plus metsulfuron-methyl 2.5% plus chlorimuron-ethyl 2.5% (bispyribac-sodium + metsulfuron-methyl + chlorimuron-ethyl) (pre-mix) 43 g/ha recorded 42.3% and 19.8%; 63.3% and 56.6% and 75.0% and 83.6% reduction in biomass of grasses, broad-leaved weeds and sedges, at 42 days after application (DAA) during 2019 and 2020, respectively, over control. Bispyribac-sodium + metsulfuron-methyl + chlorimuron-ethyl at 43 g/ha also resulted in 52.8% and 47.0% higher rice grain yield in 2019 and 2020, respectively, over control, there by demonstrating its ability to efficiently control the mixed weed flora and improve the productivity of transplanted rice.