<div>Background:&nbsp;Weeds are the major biological constraint in okra due to its slow initial growth and wider row spacing. Due to severe crop weed competition, weeds removed considerable amount of nutrients from the soil. Competition exists between the crop and weed for nutrients results in nutrient deficiencies in crop. Hence the present experiment is formulated to assess the effect of stale seedbed, mulching and mechanical weeding on nutrient availability, nutrient uptake by crop and weed in okra. 
 
Methods: Experiment was conducted at Coconut Research Station, Balaramapuram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala during Rabi 2020-21. Design adopted for the study was RBD with two factors. The first factor was seedbed preparation (S) and the second factor was weed management (W). Stale seedbed (S1) and normal seedbed (S2) were the two different seedbed preparation methods and dried banana leaf mulch @10 t ha-1 alone (W1), dried banana leaf mulch @10 t ha-1 fb wheel hoe weeding at 30 and 45 DAS (W2), dried banana leaf mulch @10 t ha-1 fb hand weeding at 30 and 45 DAS (W3), wheel hoe weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS (W4), hand weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS (W5) and weedy check (W6) were the six different weed management options tried. Soil samples were collected after the harvest of the crop to determine the nutrient availability. Weed samples at 30 and 60 DAS and plant samples at harvest were analyzed to determine the NPK content and respective uptake of nutrients were calculated by multiplying the nutrient content with DMP. 
 
Result: Stale seedbed significantly enhanced the dry matter production and nutrient uptake by okra at harvest and lowered the nutrient removal by weeds at 30 and 60 DAS. Compared to non-stale, stale seedbed recorded significantly higher fruit yield. Among the weed management, wheel hoe weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS, recorded the lowest total weed dry weight at 30 and 60 DAS and resulted in the highest NPK uptake by crop and fruit yield. Uncontrolled weed growth resulted in a loss of 81.33, 18.16 and 50.84 kg N:P:K ha-1&nbsp;at 30 DAS and 102.09, 57.90 and 55.31 kg N:P:K ha-1 at 60 DAS, respectively. Nutrient removal by weeds was the lowest in wheel hoe weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS and the highest in weedy check. It could be concluded that, wheel hoe weeding at 15, 30 and 45 DAS was the best option for the management of weeds, higher nutrient availability and uptake and yield in okra.</div>

Nutrient Availability and Nutrient Uptake by Crop and Weed as Influenced by Stale Seedbed, Mulching and Mechanical Weeding in Okra

Background: Bread is the major waste product worldwide. It contains a considerable amount of starch, which is easily converted into sugars using enzymes. The aim of this study was to produce fermentable sugars from stale bread using barley malt as substitute of commercial enzymes. 
 
Methods: Response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken design was applied to optimize the parameters of enzymatic hydrolysis such as malt content (1.25, 2.5 and 3.75%), hydrolysis temperature (55, 62.5 and 70&deg;C) and hydrolysis time (1, 1.5 and 2 h) to maximize fermentable sugars yield. 
 
Result: This study showed that malt content and hydrolysis temperature had a significant effect on fermentable sugars yield that increased with the increase in these two parameters. In contrast, hydrolysis time had no significant effect on fermentable sugars yield. The optimal parameters were 2.75% for malt content, 64.41&deg;C for hydrolysis temperature and 1.31 h for hydrolysis time. At these optimal conditions, the fermentable sugars yield was at maximum reaching 63.21%. The results of this study suggested that barley malt could potentially be used to substitute commercial enzymes.

Optimization of Fermentable Sugars Production from Stale Bread using Response Surface Methodology

<div>Background: Weeds are the major threat to direct seeded rice and a single strategy of weed control may not be effective for season-long weed control. Intending to accomplish the long-term and sustainable weed management of direct seeded rice, the integration approach of weed management strategies seems a better alternative. The current field study was aimed to evaluate the impact of integration of different weed control methods on direct seeded rice under irrigated ecosystem on weed growth and rice yield.</div>

<div> 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications and twelve treatments during 2017 at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India. The twelve treatments included the combination of cultural, mechanical, physical and chemical weed management methods.</div>

<div> 
Result: Combination of stale seedbed technique integrated with pre-emergence application of pendimethalin with mechanical weeding at 25 DAS followed by 1 hand weeding at 45 DAS, Sesbania (line sowing) fb application of pendimethalin (PE) fb 1 mechanical weeding at 25 DAS fb 1 hand weeding at 45 DAS, stale seedbed with application of pendimethalin (PE) with Sesbania brown manuring supplemented with mechanical weeding (25 DAS) fb hand weeding at 45 DAS, mulching with wheat straw mulch along with post-emergence application of penoxsulam (20 DAS) fb 1 hand weeding at 45 DAS and application of pendimethalin (PE) fb penoxsulum (PoE) at 20 DAS fb 1 hand weeding at 45 DAS with a row spacing of 25 cm found to be similar in the suppression of weed population and weed density at 40 and 60 DAS and crop yields (4.3, 4.1, 4.2, 4.0 and 4.2 t/ha, respectively) were on par with weed free plot i.e. 4.4t/ha. Application of pendimethalin (PE) fb penoxsulum (PoE) at 20 DAS fb 1 hand weeding at 45 DAS with row spacing of 25cm recorded 93.7%, 90.6% and 4.5% weed control efficiency, weed control index and weed index respectively, which was similar with above integrated weed management treatments. A negative correlation of the weed density and dry matter with the yield of rice was recorded.</div>

​Effect of Integrated Weed Management on Weed and Yield of Direct Seeded Rice

<div>Background: Weeds are widely reported as a key constraint in organic agriculture. Soybean-chickpea is important cropping sequence adopted in Maharashtra State under irrigated condition. Weed management is a serious problem in both the crop and it mostly controlled through chemical weed control. Today, widespread use of herbicides has resulted in purporated environmental and health problem as well as residual problems to succeeding crops. Now a days residue free food requirement is high. In organic farming cultural and mechanical methods are necessary to break the weed cycle. So, keeping this point in view present investigation was carried out to evaluate organic weed management practices on growth, yield and weed control in soybean-chickpea sequence under irrigated condition.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during Kharif and rabi seasons of 2017-18 and 2018-19. The present investigation consisted of ten weed management practices viz. two hand weeding at 20-25 and 45-50 DAS, one hoeing 20-25 DAS + one hand weeding at 45-50 DAS, soybean + sunhemp incorporation after 35-40 DAS in kharif season and chickpea + safflower (2:1) in rabi season,&nbsp;stale seed bed + reduced spacing + 2 tonne of wheat straw + one hand weeding at 25&nbsp;DAS, soil mulch at the time of sowing + one hand pulling at 25 DAS, incorporation of neem cake 1.5 tonne/ ha 15 days before sowing + one hand weeding at 25 DAS, soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding&nbsp;at 25 DAS, mulching with straw, weed free and weedy check. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The higher values of growth attributes was recorded by weed free treatment which was on par with two hand weeding at 20-25 and 45-50 DAS and soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding at 25 DAS and significantly superior over rest of the treatments during both the year study. Application of stale seed bed with reduced spacing and 2 tonne of wheat straw along with one hand weeding 25 DAS recorded higher soybean equivalent yield followed by soybean + sunhemp incorporation (35-45DAS) in kharif and chickpea + safflower (2:1) in rabi season during both the year. The lower weed density, dry weight and highest weed control efficiency at 40 days after sowing for both monocot and dicot weeds was recorded by weed free treatment followed by soil solarization with 25 &mu; polythene mulch during summer + one hand weeding at 25 DAS in soybean and chickpea during both the year.</div>

<div>Evaluation of Organic Weed Management Practices on Growth, Yield and Weed Control Efficiency in Soybean-chickpea Sequence under Irrigated Condition &nbsp;</div>

Sedges, resilient weeds from the Cyperaceae family, pose a significant threat to direct-seeded rice cultivation due to their perennial nature and robust propagules, which endure harsh conditions. Their emergence, growth and seed production during fallow periods contribute significantly to seed banks, making their management challenging compared to other weed types. Water levels in paddy fields dictate weed composition, favouring sedges and grasses under saturated conditions but shifting to grass weeds during cropping seasons, influenced by factors like soil conditions and rainfall. Managing sedges requires a multifaceted approach due to their perennial hydrophilic and pro-alkaline nature with extensive propagules. Sedges possessing strong root system with morphological similarities necessitate continuous weed control throughout the cropping season during the critical period ranging from 15 to 60 days after sowing for wet and dry direct-seeded rice. Effective weed management practices proved crucial for minimizing yield losses caused by infestation of Cyperus difformis, Fimbristylis miliacea and Schoenoplectus juncoides by many researchers. Various methods, including cultural practices like stale seedbeds, physical methods like summer tillage, biological approaches such as integrating poultry and chemical interventions like herbicide application, are utilized for sedge management in rice fields. Higher efficacy of ethoxysulfuron for management of majority of sedge weeds in rice has been reported by many workers. However, relying on a single strategy is insufficient to keep sedge populations below the threshold, necessitating a comprehensive and adaptable approach to weed control in rice cultivation.

Ecology and Management of Sedges in Direct-seeded Rice: A Review

Background: SRI and aerobic rice are one of the techniques of growing rice under water scarcity areas where meeting water requirement is becoming a global threat. Weeds are another threat to yield of rice irrespective of different establishment methods. Until checked, it can decline rice yield and quality up to more than 70%. SRI and aerobic rice have different densities of weeds and integrated weed management can be applied to suppress the weeds. Considering the current scenario, research was conducted to investigate growth, yield and bioenergetics of rice under different establishment methods and weed management.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment entitled &ldquo;Effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on productivity and bioenergetics of rice&rdquo; was carried out in split plot design with main plots, viz., M1- aerobic rice (AR) and M2- system of rice intensification (SRI) and five subplots W1- pre-emergence (pendimethalin @1 kg a.i ha-1) fb post-emergence (bispyribac-sodium @20g a.i ha-1) (PE+POE), W2- pre-emergence (pendimethalin @1 kg a.i ha-1) fb cono weeding at 15, 30, and 45 DAT/ DAS (PE+CW), W3- weed free (WF), W4- weedy check (WC), W5- stale seedbed followed by post-emergence herbicide (bispyribac-sodium 10% SC 20 g a.i ha-1) (SSB+POE) in split plot design with three replications taking the variety &lsquo;Pusa Basmati-1121&rsquo; as a test crop. 
&nbsp;

Result: Among the establishment methods, SRI recorded significantly higher growth attributes like plant height and dry matter production and yield attributes like number of panicles per hill, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Among the weed management treatments, WF recorded significantly higher growth attributes like plant height, number of tillers per hill, dry matter production and yield attributes like number of panicles per hill, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index that was followed by treatment PE+CW. Maximum net return and B:C ratio was observed in the treatment combinations M2W2- SRI + (PE+CW). The maximum total energy input was found in the treatment combination M1W1- AR+ (PE+POE) and the maximum total energy output was found in the treatment combination M2W3- SRI + WF. The energy intensiveness was observed to be maximum in the treatment combination M1W4- AR + WC and the maximum energy efficiency index was observed in the treatment combination M2W3- SRI+WF.

Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Productivity and Bioenergetics of Rice

Background: Generally, farmers cultivate clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] on rainfed area but seldom adopt weed control practices in it. It becomes very difficult and uneconomical to maintain weed free environment throughout crop period in the field under rainfed conditions. Therefore, the current study was aimed to find an effective weed control practice in clusterbean under rainfed conditions. 
 
Methods: Effect of weed management practices of clusterbean with T1: Pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha (PE), T2: Imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (POE), T3: Stale bed technology, T4: One hand weeding at 20 DAS (days after sowing), T5: Two hand weedings at 20 and 40 DAS, T6: Imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days + hand weeding at 40 DAS, T7:&nbsp; Pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha (PE) + hand weeding 35 DAS, T8: Pendimethalin @ 1 litre /ha (PE) + imazethapyr 0.1 kg/ha at 30 DAS and T9: Weedy check were investigated under rainfed conditions. 
 
Result: Weed control efficiencies of imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days + hand weeding at 40 DAS (T6), pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha + hand weeding at 40 DAS (T7) and pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha (PE) + imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) (T8) were statistically similar. Imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) + one hand weedings at 40 DAS recorded higher growth characters viz., plant height, dry matter and yield attributing characters viz., number of branches, number of pods/plant and seed index than other treatments. The highest seed yield was recorded in imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) + one hand weedings at 40 DAS (422 kg/ha), being statistically at par with pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha (PE) + one hand weedings at 40 DAS (390 kg/ha) and pendimethalin @ 1 litre/ha (PE) + imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) (392 kg/ha) which was significantly higher than other treatments. Imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) + one hand weedings at 40 DAS recorded 27.9 and 33.9 per cent higher seed yield than imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) and one hand weedings at 40 DAS, respectively. The net returns and benefit-cost ratio were maximum for imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) + hand weeding at 40 DAS (T6). It is inferred that imazethapyr @ 0.1 kg/ha at 20 days (PoE) + one hand weedings at 40 DAS was found the most effective and economic approach for weed control in clusterbean under rainfed conditions.

Evaluation of Different Weed Management Strategies in Clusterbean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub] under&nbsp;Rainfed Conditions of Punjab

<div style="text-align: justify;">Rice is the most important food crop of India which is grown in about 43.86 million hectare. In India the production touches 112 MT milled rice used to feed 0.8 billion peoples that is 65% of the population.Rice is grown by manual transplanting of young rice seedlings in the puddled field in bending and squatting posture, which is very drudgerious operation. Prior to transplanting, puddling is done to prepare a soft seedbed for maintain water level in the field. Generally, animal drawn puddler, tractor&rsquo;s cage wheel and power tiller operated rotary tiller were used for puddling operation.A self-propelled puddler developed at IIT Kharagpur for rice crop was tested in sandy loam soil of Kharagpur district in India. The average value of puddling index and the puddle depth was found to be above 78 % and 107 mm, respectively. The puddling with self-propelled puddled was found to be at par with that of rotary tiller.&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Self-propelled puddler for rice (Oryza sativa) crop and its evaluation</div>

Germination and seedling emergence are the critical stages in the plant life cycle. Insufficient seedling emergence and inappropriate stand establishment are the main constraints in the production of crops which receiving less rainfall. Farmers do not have sufficient resources to meet the requirement of seedbed preparation for sowing and they are at more risk as compared to progressive farmers. On the other hand good establishment increases competitiveness against weeds, increases tolerance to drought period, increase yield and avoids the time consuming need for re-sowing that is costly too. It is well accepted fact that priming improves germination, reduces seedling emergence time and improves stand establishment. A method to improve the rate and uniformity of germination is the priming or physiological advancement of the seed lot. The general purpose of seed priming is to partially hydrate the seed to a point where germination processes are begun, but they would exhibit rapid germination when re-imbibed under normal or stress conditions. A lot of work has been done on seed priming and results of these studies indicate well the importance of priming to get a good crop stand in many crops of tropical region such as rice, maize, sorghum and pigeon pea.

Seed priming techniques in field crops - A review

<div style="text-align: justify;">Virginia tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is currently the most popular field cash crop grown in Zimbabwe. The farming of Virginia tobacco in Zimbabwe started during the late 19th Century with introduced varieties which succumbed to most of the locally occurring pests and diseases. One major pest of tobacco that threatens the success of growing the crop has been the root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood]. The pest attacks the root system of the crop from as early as the seedbed stage to such an extent that yield losses of above 90% can be realised if the nematode is not controlled. &nbsp;In Zimbabwe, the threat posed by the pest in the success of the tobacco farming industry was realised as early as the 1950s and one of the approaches used to contain it was breeding for resistance into the local tobacco germplasm among other methods such as chemical control and cultural practices like crop rotation. This paper is a review of the process that was followed in incorporating root-knot nematode resistance in flue-cured tobacco germplasm in Zimbabwe. It shows the sources/origin of the root-knot nematode (M. javanica) resistance currently present in the Zimbabwean Virginia tobacco (N. tabacum) germplasm and the methods used in transferring the resistance to elite germplasm currently used in modern breeding programmes. The current study also suggests the way forward for the future breeding research for root-knot nematode (M. javanica) resistance in continuity of the past 50 years of breeding effort for resistance to the pest.</div>

Incorporation of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) Chitwood) resistance in the Zimbabwean elite Virginia tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) germplasm: A review&nbsp;