Exploration and Documentation of some weeds from the Paddy field of Nagbhid Tahsil

Introduction

Agriculture, commonly referred to as farming, has its origins in ancient history, spanning thousands of years. It serves as a fundamental pillar of civilization. Agriculture is a global practice, forming the backbone of numerous developing nations, such as India, where 70% of the labour force is engaged in agriculture-related sectors [1].

The advent of modern farming occurred in the 18^th century, marked by significant transformations in agricultural methods over a brief period, resulting in substantial enhancements in crop yields and a more streamlined process. By the mid-19th century, technological advancements began to be integrated into agriculture. The introduction of the tractor was a pivotal moment, followed by innovations in irrigation, tillage, and harvesting equipment. These technological developments contributed to increased yields and improved the overall quality of agricultural produce [2].

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) belongs to the Poaceae family and serves as a fundamental food source for the global population. It is widely cultivated throughout the country. In the districts of Chadrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara, and Gondia within Maharashtra state, rice stands out as the most significant and extensively cultivated food crop, playing a vital role in ensuring food security and providing livelihoods for many individuals. Paddy serves as a raw material for the production of various industrial products like noodle, rice bran oil, rice husk, rice straw products, puffed rice starch. As a staple food, rice significantly impacts India’s economy, thereby holding a central role in the formulation of agricultural policies [3,4, 5].

Weeds are characterized as plants that are considered unwanted or undesirable, growing among cultivated crops. They disrupt the primary crop by consuming land and water resources, thereby diminishing both the quantity and quality of rice production. Weeds act as a formidable pest for rice, leading to significant yield losses in rice cultivation globally. The presence of weeds alongside paddy crops results in notably low agricultural output. They pose substantial obstacles to rice production due to their capacity to compete for carbon dioxide, space, water, moisture, sunlight, and essential nutrients. Weeds extract all the nutrients from the soil in which they thrive, leading to a decline in soil fertility and nutrient content. Among cereal crops, rice is a vital source of sustenance for more than half of the world’s population [6].

Paddy is a crucial crop in India. Reports indicate that India faces an annual loss of INR 1050 million due to weeds in paddy fields [7]. The impact of weed composition on paddy yield reduction ranges from 9% to 51%. The unchecked proliferation of weeds in paddy fields has been shown to decrease grain yield by 75.8%, 70.6%, and 62.6% in dry seeded, wet seeded and transplanted rice, respectively. A rigorous survey is essential in weed management programs to tackle existing weed issues in rice fields, and the information gathered from such surveys is critical for developing targeted research initiatives [8].

Keeping in mind all the aspects, the present study was undertaken to document the diversity of weeds present in the paddy field of Nagbhid tehsil from Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state (India).

Materials and Methods

Nagbhid taluka in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state has been selected as the study area (Fig 1). Nagbhid is one of the richesttahsil in terms of biodiversity among 15 tahsil of chandrapur district. Nagbhid is recognized for its combination of historical importance and robust agricultural foundation. Nagbhid is located at an elevation of about 210 meters (690 feet) above sea level. Nagbhid plays a vital role in the agricultural production of Maharashtra, utilizing its rich alluvial soil. The primary and most crucial crop is rice (paddy), with the taluka serving as a significant rice-producing region.

An extensive survey of rice field was done in the month of July 2024 to April 2025 comprising both Kharip and Rabi crop seasons. Weed plants obtained in the paddy field were identified with the help of standard flora and available literature [9,10,11].

Result & Discussion

The present study depicted that a total 58 plant species were reported as weeds in the paddy field of Nagbhid tehsilwhich belongs to 16 different families of angiosperms (Table 1). Out of 58 plants, 60% weeds plants were Dicot (34 species) while 40% (23 species) were found to be Monocot (Fig. 2). Among all the reported weed plants, most dominant families were Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceace (Fig. 3).

A total 14 plant species were recorded as weeds belonging to Poaceae (Gramineae) family,10 plants species belongs to Asteraceae, 07 species belongs to Cyperaceae, 06 Species belongs to Amaranthaceae and 04 species belongs to Fabaceace. Only 2 plant taxa were noted as weeds of Malvaceae and Convolvulaceae each. Other families like Oxalidaceae, Rubiaceae, Verbenaceae, Cleomaceae, Portulacaceae, Acanthaceae, and Onagraceae were reported with only one plant.  Cynodon, Echinochloa and Paspalum were observed to be the most dominant genera among all the weeds (Table 1, Fig. 3, and Fig. 4).

Weeds represent significant obstacles to the yield and productivity of rice [12]. The adage, “One year’s seeding means seven years’ weeding,” aptly illustrates the risks associated with allowing weeds to produce seeds. Research has shown that uncontrolled weeds can diminish production by approximately 80% in direct-seeded rice, a figure that is considerably greater than that observed in transplanted rice systems. Recently, yield losses ranging from 14% to 100% have been documented for direct-seeded rice, while losses of 7% to 80% have been noted for transplanted rice [13, 14].

The dominant nature of the weed plant families like Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceace in the paddy field was in agreement with the findings of a researcher [15] who worked on the weeds of paddy field from of Bilaspur District, Chattisgarh. Weeds are creating problem in paddy field resulting in economic losses to farmer. Similar findings were observed by the other researchers through their study [16, 17].

Conclusion

In the present study a total 58 weeds were reported from the paddy field belonging to 16 different families. The most dominant families were Poaceae, Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Fabaceace. The species richness was observed of dicots while the Cyperaceae and Poaceae members of monocot were most abundant. The plants like Alternanthera sessilis, Cynodon dactylon, Cyperus spp., Dactyloctenium aegyptium, and Echinochloa spp. were most dominant. Special attention is needed to identify the diversity of weeds and systematic approaches to their management as weeds are one of the major threats to crop productivity.

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