Field Crop 2024, Vol.7, No.2, 105-115 http://cropscipublisher.com/index.php/fc 110 economic returns (Benaragama and Shirtliffe, 2013). Another example is the use of allelopathic rice varieties combined with cultural management options and low-dose herbicide applications, which effectively controlled paddy field weeds without yield penalties (Shekhawat et al., 2020). Additionally, the integration of ecological methods such as cleaning irrigation water and removing floating weed seeds with conventional herbicide applications has been shown to deplete the weed seed bank and reduce herbicide use by half in a rice-wheat cropping system (Jabran and Chauhan, 2015). These integrative approaches highlight the importance of combining multiple weed management strategies to achieve sustainable and effective weed control in rice cultivation. By leveraging the strengths of cultural, mechanical, and chemical methods, farmers can reduce weed infestations, minimize herbicide use, and enhance crop productivity and profitability. 7 Case Study 7.1 Detailed examination of a specific region or farm implementing cultural weed management strategies A case study was conducted in Sri Lanka to evaluate the effectiveness of different rice establishment methods on weed infestation by weedy rice and the yield of cultivated rice grains. The study was carried out in farmers' fields across three locations: Atala, Sammanthurai, and Girithale villages, over two consecutive seasons. The establishment methods tested included farmers' practice, random broadcasting, line sowing, seedling broadcasting, and transplanted rice (Kim et al., 2000). A study by Singh et al. (2018) demonstrated that a herbicide treatment combining pendimethalin 38.7% CS and ethoxysulfuron sodium was highly effective in controlling weed populations and enhancing the yield of transplanted rice crops. This treatment achieved the highest plant height (101.82 cm) and the highest yield per hectare (tons), indicating its superior effectiveness compared to other herbicides tested in the study. Additionally, Mahbub et al. (2017) evaluated the efficacy of various herbicides, including pyrithiobac-sodium and a wettable powder mixture of metsulfuron-methyl + chlorimuron-ethyl. They compared these treatments with weed-free plots and untreated controls. Their survey, conducted during the Aman and Boro seasons of 2014-2015, identified two grasses, two sedges, and three broadleaf weeds during the Aman season, and two grasses, two sedges, and two broadleaf weeds during the Boro season. The predominant weeds in both seasons included Cyperus spp., Echinochloa crus-galli, Sphenoclea zeylanica, and Monochoria vaginalis. Among the herbicide treatments, metsulfuron-methyl + 2% chlorimuron-ethyl wettable powder showed promising results (Figure 2) (Pervaiz et al., 2023). These findings indicate that specific herbicide combinations can effectively control weed populations and improve rice yields, highlighting the importance of targeted weed management strategies in rice cultivation. Figure 2 Evaluation of herbicides for selective weed control (Adopted from Pervaiz et al., 2023) Image caption: This image effectively communicates the importance of using specific herbicides for weed management in Physalis angulataL. cultivation to achieve higher fruit yields (Adopted from Pervaiz et al., 2023)
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