Effect of Sowing Methods and Weed Management Strategies in Rice Cultivated on Clay Soil

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional transplanting methods, offering advantages in resource efficiency, labor reduction, and sustainability. However, effective weed management remains a critical challenge in DSR cultivation, particularly on clayey soils. Weed management techniques was therefore studied at the Agricultural Research Institute, Dera Ismail Khan, to evaluate the effects of different sowing techniques and weed management strategies on growth, yield, and weed suppression in rice in a randomized complete block design (split-plot arrangement). The experiment included sowing methods in main plot while subplots consisted of irrigation frequencies. The KSK-133 rice cultivar was used in this study with subplot size of 2m × 3m (6m-2). The maximum paddy yield (7.95 t ha-1) was recorded in transplanting method + herbicide application followed by drill sowing method + herbicide application (7.49 t ha-1). Key parameters, including plant height, productive tillers, leaf area index, panicle length, and paddy yield, were measured to assess the performance of the treatments. Results demonstrated that this research provides valuable insights into optimizing DSR cultivation through strategic combinations of sowing techniques and weed management practices, contributing to sustainable rice production and addressing the challenges of labor shortages and water scarcity in agriculture.