Field Crop 2024, Vol.7, No.2, 105-115 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 105 Feature Review Open Access Cultural Weed Management Strategies in Rice Cultivation: Reducing the Infestation of Weedy Rice Yumin Huang School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, Fujian, China Corresponding email: hym@xmu.edu.cn Field Crop, 2024 Vol.7, No.2 doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0011 Received: 17 Feb., 2024 Accepted: 29 Mar., 2024 Published: 16 Apr., 2024 Copyright © 2024 Huang, This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Huang Y.M., 2024, Cultural weed management strategies in rice cultivation: reducing the infestation of weedy rice, Field Crop, 7(2): 105-115 (doi: 10.5376/fc.2024.07.0011) Abstract Weedy rice poses a significant challenge to rice cultivation, particularly in direct-seeded systems where its physical and physiological similarities to cultivated rice complicate management. This study explores various cultural weed management strategies aimed at reducing the infestation of weedy rice. Key strategies include the use of clean seeds and machinery, stale seedbed practices, thorough land preparation, crop rotation, high seeding rates, row-seeding, and the use of purple-colored cultivars. Additionally, flooding and crop rotation have shown promise in mitigating weedy rice issues. Integrating these cultural practices with ecological approaches, such as the use of allelopathic rice varieties and biological control methods, can further enhance weed management. The study highlights the importance of a multi-faceted approach, combining cultural, mechanical, and biological methods to sustainably manage weedy rice and reduce reliance on chemical herbicides. This integrated weed management framework not only addresses the immediate weed problem but also contributes to long-term agricultural sustainability and environmental health. Keywords Weedy rice; Cultural weed management; Direct-seeded rice; Integrated weed management; Sustainable agriculture 1 Introduction Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food for more than half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Latin America, making it a critical crop for global food security and livelihoods (Saqib et al., 2015; Singh et al., 2016; Mohanty et al., 2020). The traditional method of rice cultivation involves transplanting seedlings into flooded fields, which requires significant labor and water resources (Saqib et al., 2015; Singh et al., 2016). However, due to increasing labor costs and water scarcity, there has been a shift towards direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems in many regions (Singh et al., 2016; Mohanty et al., 2020). This method involves sowing seeds directly into the field, which can save water and labor but also presents new challenges, particularly in weed management (Singh et al., 2016; Mohanty et al., 2020). Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is a major weed problem in rice cultivation, especially in DSR systems (Mispan et al., 2019; Ajaykumar et al., 2022). It is a complex of morphotypes that are phenotypically similar to cultivated rice but exhibit undesirable traits such as easy shattering, taller plants, and red grains, which can significantly reduce both yield and quality of the rice crop (Mispan et al., 2019; Ajaykumar et al., 2022). The conspecific nature of weedy rice with cultivated rice makes it difficult to control using conventional methods, as it can easily mimic the cultivated varieties (Mispan et al., 2019; Ajaykumar et al., 2022). The infestation of weedy rice can lead to substantial economic losses and poses a severe threat to the sustainability of rice production systems (Mispan et al., 2019; Ajaykumar et al., 2022). Given the challenges associated with chemical control of weedy rice, including the evolution of herbicide resistance and environmental concerns, there is a growing emphasis on cultural weed management strategies (Mohanty et al., 2020). These strategies include practices such as crop rotation, use of competitive rice cultivars, appropriate water management, and mechanical weeding (Andres et al., 2012; Mispan et al., 2019; Mohanty et al., 2020). For instance, the use of the Clearfield® Rice Production System, which involves herbicide-tolerant rice varieties, has shown promise in managing weedy rice, although it also raises concerns about potential resistance
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