Studies on influence of tillage and weed management practices on yield and economics of soybean (Glycine max L.) under entosolic soil

Over the last few decades there has been increasing awareness towards the soil health, productivity and food security which has forced to find out a suitable and sustainable tillage and weed management practice of crop production. A field investigation on “Studies on influence of tillage and weed management practice on yield and economics of soybean (Glycine max L.)” under entosolic soil. to elucidate the effect of tillage management and weed management on yield of soybean and to assess the physicochemical properties of soil under entisolic soil was conducted at field of research farm of AICRP on Weed Management, Department of Agronomy, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola (Maharashtra) during the kharif season of 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design having 4 main tillage management practices and 5 weed management practices with three replications. The other cultural practices were kept common, as recommended. Results from the experiment showed that, on shallow soil having medium clay content with conventional tillage exhibited better growth and yield attributes and recorded significantly higher seed yield. Among, the weed management practices in soybean weed free treatments i.e. two hoeing at 15 and 30 DAS and one weeding at 30 DAS recorded significantly lowest total weed count, lowest total weed dry matter, lowest weed index and highest weed control efficiency. However, application of diclosulam 0.030kg a.i./ha as a PE fb propaquizafop + imazethapyr 0.125kg a.i./ha at 20 DAS were at par with each other. Weedy check treatment (WC) was recorded significantly highest total weed count, highest total weed dry matter, highest weed index and lowest weed control efficiency during the year 2019-20. Improvement in soil physical properties viz., soil moisture content, porosity, mean weight diameter, rate of infiltration, hydraulic conductivity was observed with conventional tillage practice and weed free weed management practices. Significantly higher gross monetary returns and net monetary returns along with maximum benefit-cost ratio were obtained with conventional tillage practice. Weed management practice, weed free improved the status of gross monetary returns but net monetary returns and benefit-cost ratio was significantly highest in pre-emergence application of diclosulam 0.030kg a.i. /ha fb PoE application of propaquizafop + imazethapyr 0.125 kg a.i./ha at 20 DAS in soybean.