Agro-management strategies for delay sowing of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The field experiment entitled “Agro-management strategies for delay sowing of rice (Oryza sativa L.)” was conducted during kharif, 2024 at Research cum Instructional Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur. The experimental field was Vertisol, neutral in reaction (pH 7.06), low in available nitrogen (144.20 kg ha⁻¹), medium in available phosphorus (18.9 kg ha⁻¹) and high in available potassium (376.7 kg ha⁻¹). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with three replications. The treatments consisted; T1- Transplanting of 30 days old two seedlings on Aug 3, T2- Transplanting of 35 days old three seedlings on Aug 8, T3- Transplanting of 40 days old four seedlings on Aug 13, T4- Transplanting of 45 days old five seedlings on Aug 18, T5- Wet direct seeding with two seeds on Aug 3, T6- Wet direct seeding with three seeds on Aug 8, T7- Wet direct seeding with four seeds on Aug 13 and T8- Wet direct seeding with five seeds on Aug 18. The test variety was Vikram TCR. The results reveal that significantly superior growth parameters i.e., plant height, number of tillers, leaf area, root length, root volume and root dry weight were observed under sowing of two seeds on August 3 in wet direct seeded and it was statistically at par with sowing of three seeds on August 8 or four seeds on August 13 in wet direct seeded condition and transplanting of 30 days old two seedlings on August 3. The significant variation on panicle length, test weight and harvest index were not found due to different treatments. The number of panicles was significantly higher under transplanting of 40 days old four seedlings on August 13 but it was statistically at par with transplanting of 30 days old two seedlings on August 3, transplanting of 35 days old three seedlings on August 8 and sowing of five seeds on August 18 in wet direct seeded. The sowing of two seeds on August 3 in wet direct seeded produced significantly higher panicle weight, number of filled grains, grain yield and straw yield and found statistically comparable with sowing of three seeds on August 8 or four seeds on August 13 in wet direct seeded and transplanting of 30 days old two seedlings on August 3. The sowing of two seeds on August 3 in wet direct seeded obtained highest gross return, net return and B:C ratio followed by sowing of three seeds on August 8 and transplanting of 30 days old two seedlings on August 3.