Sustainable approaches for weed management in taro cultivation: Analysis using mixed‐effect model in diverse agroclimatic conditions

Abstract This study assessed the effectiveness of eight weed control treatments in improving taro ( Colocasia esculenta ) yield across 10 locations spanning seven agro‐climatic zones in India over two consecutive years (2021–2022 and 2022–2023). The experiment used a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD), with treatments including chemical herbicides (quizalofop‐ p ‐ethyl and glyphosate), hand weeding, intercropping with cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.), mulching, and an unweeded control. A linear mixed‐effects model was employed to evaluate treatment effects while accounting for site‐ and year‐related variability. The full model incorporated Treatment as a fixed effect, with Site, Year and Replications nested within Site × Year as random effects. A simplified model, excluding the Treatment:Site:Year interaction due to negligible variance contribution, was selected for inference. The analysis revealed significant treatment effects on yield. Mulching with ground cover mat (T5) and weed‐free control (T7) consistently resulted in the highest yields, while the unweeded control (T8) showed substantial yield reductions. Site emerged as the most influential factor in yield variability, highlighting the necessity of site‐specific weed management strategies. Model validation through residual diagnostics confirmed a robust model fit. These findings underscore the importance of environment‐specific and integrated weed management approaches for enhancing taro yield sustainability across diverse agro‐climatic conditions.