Performance of different nitrogen levels on different rice varieties in transplanted condition of Vindhya Region

Abstract

Rice serves as the staple food for approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide and remains the most extensively cultivated crop for food production, covering 42% of the total cropped area. The development of early-maturing rice varieties is crucial for optimizing multiple cropping systems, particularly in upland conditions. Nitrogen plays a vital role in nutrient management as it is a key component of protein synthesis and is involved in numerous biochemical and physiological processes in plants. This study evaluated the impact of two nitrogen levels (80 kg/ha and 120 kg/ha) and eight rice varieties (IET-26767, IET-26477, IET-24914, IET-25713, Sahbhagi, Vandana, Govind, and MTU-1010) using a split-plot design with three replications. Among the varieties tested, Vandana exhibited superior growth and yield attributes, recording the highest grain yield (4039 kg/ha) in the Rewa region. The application of 120 kg N/ha significantly enhanced growth parameters, yield-contributing traits, and grain yield (3689 kg/ha). The combination of Vandana with 80 kg N/ha was identified as the most effective treatment, yielding 4026 kg/ha while maintaining strong growth characteristics. Economic analysis revealed the highest net returns and benefit-cost ratio from the Vandana + 120 kg N/ha treatment, followed by Sahbhagi + 80 kg N/ha. These findings highlight the importance of variety selection and nitrogen optimization in enhancing rice productivity under upland conditions.