Weeds are one of the major biological threats to higher rice productivity worldwide. Various cultural, biological, physical and chemical practices affect the composition and intensity of weeds in rice fields. Generally, weeds can be controlled through herbicides; nevertheless, chemical weed control is not a sustainable option on a long term. Various agronomic practices such as the use of tolerant cultivars, adjusting sowing time, tillage permutations and plant geometry may reduce the weed pressure in rice. Integrated approaches for weed management, emphasizing on the combination of management practices and scientific knowledge, may reduce the economic costs and improve weed control owing to the complexity of the weed community. The present chapter reveals the role of planting geometry and herbicides as weed management strategies in rice, and discusses the issue of herbicide resistance associated with chemical weed control. Moreover, the research and knowledge gaps in rice weed management through planting geometry and herbicides were also highlighted.
Part of the book: Grasses as Food and Feed
Nitrogen is one of the most essential macro-nutrients that improve crop growth, development, quality, and productivity of sugarcane. However, nitrogen fertilization in sugarcane yield has serious constraints. Leaching, runoff, and fixation losses of nitrogen increase production costs, decrease nitrogen use efficiency and crop productivity, and cause environmental pollution. On the contrary, agronomic management practices are pivotal for sustainable nitrogen management in sugarcane fields. Sustainable nitrogen management in sugarcane is possible by applying the integrated approaches of field management and crop production. For this, the optimum rate of nitrogen fertilizer applied via the best method at a crucial time of the crop growth stage significantly lowered the nitrogen losses and improved the crop productivity and nitrogen use efficiency. Legume intercropping provides promising results for controlling nitrogen leaching losses from sugarcane fields. Using urease inhibitors and controlled-release fertilizers is also a pivotal approach to decreasing nitrogen losses. Furthermore, introducing nitrogen-efficient sugarcane genotypes and nanomaterials in agriculture improved farmers’ economics and environmental safety.
Part of the book: Agronomy and Horticulture - Annual Volume 2024 [Working title]