Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Productivity, Soil Properties and Economics of Wheat under Rice – Wheat Cropping System
A field experiment was conducted at the Crop Research Centre of GBPUA and T, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar continuous two years to study the productivity, soil properties, and economics of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different wheat establishment methods in main plots and seven weed management practices in sub plots, replicated thrice in a split plot design. Zero tilled wheat exhibited more number of spikes m-2 and more number of grains per spike was significantly higher than reduced and conventional tillage. The zero tilled wheat yielded 12.35 and 3.66 per cent higher over reduced and conventional tillage during Ist year and 11.99 and 3.09 per cent during IInd year. The bulk density of soil was higher under zero tillage than that of other tillage. The infiltration rate was significantly greater with ZT than RT and CT. The highest grain yield was obtained in two hand weedings done at 30 and 60 DAS and was at par with Isoproturon 1.0 kg ha-1 + Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha-1 at 30 DAS and Clodinafop – Propargyl 60 g ha-1 at 30 DAS fb. Metsulfuron methyl 4 g ha-1 at 37 DAS.