Effect of variety and weed management practices on productivity of deepwater rice

On-farm farmers’ participatory trials were carried out during the wet seasons of 2004 and 2005 under rainfed deepwater rice ecosystem in five different villages of Ersama Block in the Jagatsinghpur district of coastal Orissa to evaluate the effect of improved variety and integrated weed management techniques on grain yield and production economics of deepwater rice. The yield improvement due to adoption of improved variety, Durga was 76% more than the traditional variety, Bhaluki. In contrast, the adoption of integrated weed management techniques alone enhanced the grain yield to the tune of 56% over traditional weed management practices. The overall yield enhancement of rice due to adoption of improved variety along with integrated weed management practices was 157% more than cultivation of traditional variety with traditional weed management practices. The highest net monetary return (Rs. 5848 ha−1) and benefit: cost ratio (1.72) was recorded in the plots where improved variety, Durga was grown with integrated weed management techniques.