Loading...

Crop Research

Impact of herbicide application on weed flora, yield attributes and soil microbial population in Rabi maize (Zea mays L.)



DOI: 10.31830/2454-1761.2025.CR-1041    | Article Id: CR-1041 | Page : 324-329
Citation :- Impact of herbicide application on weed flora, yield attributes and soil microbial population in Rabi maize (Zea mays L.). Crop Res. 60: 324-329
PRIYANKA PAUL, SUNITA MEHER, ASHIRBACHAN MAHAPATRA AND SIDDHARTHA DAS sunitameher60@gmail.com
Address : M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi-761211, Odisha, India
Submitted Date : 8-07-2025
Accepted Date : 5-08-2025
Online Published:

Abstract

Maize plays a vital role in India’s food and livelihood security. Despite its significance, maize productivity in regions like Odisha remains moderate, partly due to severe early-season weed competition. While herbicides offer effective control, their excessive use poses serious threats to soil microbial health and long-term sustainability. Based on this, a field experiment was conducted during the Rabi season of 2024-25 at the post graduate research farm of M. S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi, Odisha to assess the impact of herbicide application on weed flora, yield attributes and soil microbial population in Rabi Maize. The study involved ten treatments, including pre-emergence (PE), post-emergence (PoE), and sequential applications of atrazine, mesotrione, tembotrione, and topramezone, along with hand weeding (HW) and a weedy check, which were evaluated using maize hybrid Bayer DKC-9217 in a randomised block design. The lowest weed density, weed dry matter were recorded under HW at 20 and 40 DAS, followed by atrazine + mesotrione (ready-mix) 875 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS and atrazine 1000 g/ha PE fb topramezone 30 g/ha PoE at 20 days after sowing (DAS). The weedy check showed a 54.58% yield loss. Growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were significantly highest in HW at 20 and 40 DAS and statistically comparable with the two best-performing herbicidal treatments. Atrazine + mesotrione (ready-mix) 875 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS improved soil microbial and PGPR populations, comparable to the atrazine 1000 g/ha PE fb topramezone 30 g/ha PoE at 20 DAS, suggesting both treatments as eco-friendly and sustainable weed management options for Rabi maize.

Keywords

Crop productivity grain yield herbicides maize soil microbial population weed dynamics


References

Bamboriya, S., Choudhary, M., Singh, A., Jat, S. and Rakshit, S. (2024). maize production for food, feed and fodder. Book Published by ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research, PAU Campus Ludhiana, Punjab-141 004, India, doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.33927.61609.
Chaudhary, J., Yadav, R. K. and Meena, R. K. (2021). Effect of herbicides on weed dynamics and productivity of maize. J. Pharmacog. Phytochem. 10: 1810–14.
Chaudhary, R. S., Sharma, A. K. and Meena, B. L. (2020). Influence of herbicide application on soil biological properties and microbial activity. J. Environ. Biol. 41: 345–50.
Chauhan, K. R., Patel, H. F. and Attar, S. K.  (2022). Effect of weed management practices on weed control efficiency, yield, nutrient uptake and economics of summer maize (Zea mays) under humid tropic conditions​. Res. Crop. 23: 544-49.
Chhokar, R. S., Sharma, R. K. and Jat, G. R. (2019). Herbicide resistance and weed management strategies in India: a review. Indian J. Weed Sci. 51: 1–14.
Choudhary, A., Meena, R. S. and Yadav, G. (2021). Effects of herbicide residues on soil microbial communities: A review. J. Environ. Biol. 42: 567–74.
Ehsas, J., Desai, L. J., Ahir, N. B. and Joshi, J. R. (2016). Effect of integrated weed management on growth, yield, yield attributes and weed parameters of summer maize (Zea mays L.) under South Gujarat condition. Int. J. Sci. Environ. Technol. 5: 2016–50.
Feng, J., Yakob, B. K., Okbagabir, S. G., Dekin, G. O., Mam, E. T. L. and Zargar, M. (2023). Impact of eco-physiological factors on the weed seed germination and emergence: A review on its role in weed management. Res. Crop. 24: 749-58.
Govt of Odisha (2023). Odisha Economic Survey 2022–23, Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Planning and Convergence Department, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.Jat, R. D., Singh, K. P., Yadav, R. S., Jha, P. and Jugulam, M. (2024). Effect of mesotrione + atrazine ready mix on weed management, growth, and yield of maize. J. Exp. Agric. Int. 46: 494–99.
Jhala, A. J., Kumar, V., Yadav, R., Jha, P., Jugulam, M., Williams, M. M. and Norsworthy, J. K. (2023). 4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD)-inhibiting herbicides: past, present, and future. Weed Technol. 37: 1–14.
Jin, T., Yang, J., Cao, W. and Yang, L. (2019). Effects of herbicides on soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in a vegetable cropping system. Sci. Total Environ. 660: 159–68.
Kumar, P., Singh, M. and Yadav, R. S. (2021). Effect of weed management practices on soil microbial population and enzymatic activity in crop ecosystems. Indian J. Agric. Sci. 91: 1056–62.
Kumar, V., Mishra, S. S. and Tripathi, R. (2020). Weed management in maize: A comprehensive review. Indian J. Agron. 65: 1–10.
Maiti, R, K, and Singh, V. P. (2017). Physiological basis of maize growth and productivity–A review†. Farm. Manage. 2: 59-88.
Meena, R. S., Kumar, S. and Datta, R. (2019). Influence of herbicides on soil enzyme activity and microbial biomass in maize. Agric. Rev. 40: 289–95.
Meher, S., Saha, S., Tiwari, N. Panneerselvam, P., Munda, S., Mahapatra, A. and Jangde, H. K. (2021). Herbicide-mediated effects on soil microbes, enzymes and yield in direct sown rice. Agric. Res. 10: 592–600. doi:10.1007/s40003-020-00536-6.
Panse, V. G. and Sukhatme, P. V. (1967). Statistical Methods for Agricultural Workers, 2nd ed. ICAR, New Delhi.
Patel, D., Rana, D. S. and Jadhav, M. V. (2022). Impact of mulching and cover cropping on weed suppression and soil biological activity in maize. Int. J. Agric. Sci. 14: 212–18.
Sapkota, T. B., Sharma, R. K. and Rai, M. (2021). Non-target effects of herbicides on soil fauna and implications for sustainable agriculture. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 216: 112–18.
Schmidt, E. L. and Caldwell, A. C. (1967). A Practical Manual of Soil Microbiology. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, USA.
Shrestha, J., Gurung, D. B. and Dhital, K. P. (2018). Agronomic performance of maize genotypes under high temperature condition. Farm. Manage. 3: 23-29.
Singh, R. K., Verma, S. and Yadav, A. (2023). Climate change effects on herbicide behavior and weed dynamics in maize cropping systems. J. Agrometeorol. 25: 65–72.
Subba Rao, N. S. (1988). Soil Microorganisms and Plant Growth, 4th ed. Oxford & IBH Publ. Co., New Delhi.
Triveni, U., Rani, Y. S., Patro, T. S. S. K. and Bharathalakshmi, M. (2017). Effect of different pre- and post-emergence herbicides on weed control, productivity and economics of maize. Indian J. Weed Sci. 49: 231–35..
Verma, B., Bhan, M., Jha, A. K., Singh, V., Patel, R., Sahu, M. P. and Kumar, V. (2022). Weed management in direct-seeded rice through herbicidal mixtures under diverse agroecosystems. Agric. Mech. Asia Afr. Lat. Am. 53: 7299–306.
Yadav, S. K., Kumar, R. and Meena, V. S. (2023). Resilience and recovery of soil microbial communities under herbicide stress in maize-based systems. Arch. Agron. Soil Sci. 69: 412–25.

Global Footprints