A field experiment was conducted at the Water Management Field, ICAR ResearchComplex for NEH region, Umiam, Meghalaya during kharif of 2011 to study the weedmanagement practices in transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was laid out inrandomized block design with three replications. Weedy check (T1), mechanical weeding (conoweeder) at 20 and 40 DAT (T2), closer spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) + butachlor 1.5 kg ha-1(T3),butachlor 1.5 kg ha-1+ 2,4-D 0.75 kg ha-1(T4), closer spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) + pretilachlor0.75 kg ha-1(T5), pretilachlor 0.75 kg ha-1+ 2,4-D 0.75 kg ha-1(T6), fenoxaprop 60 g ha-1+ 2,4-D 0.75 kg ha-1(T7) and hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAT (T8) were the eight treatments employed.The results revealed that the most abundant weeds in the field were Marsilea minuta,Paspalum sp., Echinochloa crus-galli and Cyperus iria. Hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAT wasfound to be the best treatment in reducing weed density, weed growth and nutrient uptake byweeds and in terms of enhancing crop growth, nutrient content and uptake by crop, yieldparameters, and yield of the crop. Among other treatments, weeding with cono weeder (4.33 tha-1) and closer spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) + pretilachlor 0.75 kg ha-1(4.31 t ha-1) yielded highergrain yield than other treatments and were at par. Highest gross and net return was realizedwith hand weeding (Rs. 49424 ha-1) and closer spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) + pretilachlor @ 0.75kg ha-1(Rs. 14896 ha-1), respectively. Highest benefit: cost ratio (2 .03) was recorded withcloser spacing (15 cm x 15 cm) + pretilachlor @ 0.75 kg ha-1and was at par with weeding withcono weeder (1.97). All the treatments performed significantly better than the weedy check inall aspects.
Key words: Transplanted rice; spacing; net return; gross return; benefit: cost ratio.