AGRONOMIC MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED RICE PRODUCTIVITY UNDER SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION

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Date
2010
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Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand
Abstract
More than 80 % of fresh water is consumed by the agricultural sector. Among the crops, rice consumes 50% of total water used in agriculture & with declining per capita availability of water over the years, there is need to enhance water productivity in rice cultivation. System of rice intensification (SRI) offers an opportunity for reducing demand of water in rice sector. One of the advantages of SRI (System of Rice Intensification) is to use younger seedling and management of weeds by conoweeder which aerates the soil and also incorporates weeds. However, use of younger seedling is difficult due to tenderness of the seedling as well as handling of the seedling. The cono-weeding practice in rice is involved with drudgery and a person needs to walk 40 km to cover an area of one ha in one direction. In order to standardize and economize conoweeding, the present investigation to evaluate the age of seedling and weed management methods under SRI was conducted in factorial Randomized Block Design replicated thrice with factor- 1 (A1-10 days old seedlings, A2-15 days old seedlings), factor- 2 (weed management methods viz. W1-2 times cono-weeding at 10 & 20 DAT, W2-4 times cono-weeding at 10, 20, 30 & 40 DAT, W3-preemergence application of Butachlor @ 1.5 kg. a.i /ha +1HW at 10 DAT, W4- weed free(20,40,60DAT) without cono-weeding and W5- weedy check). Keeping this in view, an experiment entitled “Agronomic management for improved rice productivity under System of Rice Intensification” was carried out in Alfisol under sub-humid agro-climatic condition at Rice Research Farm, BAU, Kanke, Ranchi (Jharkhand) during kharif 2009. Soil of the experimental plot was sandy clay loam with pH 6.2 having available soil N, P & K (210, 8.54 & 215 Kg/ha). Rice hybrid - PA 6444 was transplanted at a spacing of 25 cm x 25 cm with single seedling/hill. A fertilizer dose @ 125:80:90 kg NPK/ha (including FYM @ 5 t/ha applied 15 days before the transplanting) was applied as per the recommended time and methods. Results revealed that transplanting of 10 days old seedling under SRI recorded significantly higher vegetative growth characters of rice hybrid PA 6444 namely plant height (89.04cm), total no. of tillers per m2 (288), dry matter accumulation in plant (1041.93 g/m2) as compared to 15 days old seedlings. Significant increase in grain yield (60.80 q/ha) was also recorded with 10 days old seedling as compared to 15days old seedlings (56.20 q/ha). Uptake (kg/ha) of N (131.53), P (24.31) & K (123) by the crop was significantly higher with 10 days old seedlings as compared to 15 days old seedlings. Yield attributing characters viz. effective tillers/m2 (284), no. of fertile grain/panicle (158) was significantly higher in the plots transplanted with 10 days old seedlings. However, dry matter production of weeds did not differ significantly with the age of seedling. Weed control efficiency higher in 10 days old seedlings (50.13) as compared to 15 days old seedlings (49.74). However minimum weed index was observed in 10 days old seedlings (8.29 %) than that of 15 days old seedlings (15.23 %). Among the weed management practices, growth characters such as plant height (91.92 cm), total tiller/m2 (318) and dry matter production in plant (1196.8 g/m2) and LAI (4.00) were significantly higher with the treatment 4 times conoweeding. However, this was at par with the treatment 2 times conoweeding except dry matter production. Maximum yield of 64.25 q/ha was recorded with the treatments 4 times cono-weeding which is significantly superior to rest of the treatment except 2 times conoweeding (63.55 q/ha). Uptake (kg/ha) of N (144.42), P (26.81) & K (136.62) by the plant was higher with the treatment having 4 times conoweeding. Minimum dry matter of weeds was recorded with weed free check (38.75 g/m2) followed by the treatment having 4 times cono weeding (82.75 g/m2). Weed control efficiency (%) was highest in weed free (83.03%) followed by 4 times conoweeding (63.72%), Butachlor application (54.38%) and 2 times conoweeding (48.55%), however minimum weed index % was observed in 4 times conoweeding (3.09) followed by 2 times conoweeding (4.14), weed free check (3 HW) without conoweeding (10.41), butachlor application + 1 HW (11.91) and weedy check (29.26). Bacterial activity in soil was unaffected due to age of seedlings. It was significantly higher in 4 times conoweeded plots (75 X 105 cfu/g of soil) compared to 2 times conoweeding (69 x 105 cfu/g of soil). Dehydrogenase activity was found non significant in both the cases. In economics, 10 days old seedling recorded significantly higher Gross return (57,236 Rs/ha), Net return (41,111 Rs/ha) & B: C ratio (2.57) than that of 15 days old seedling (52,846 Rs/ha, 36,721 Rs/ha & 2.29, respectively). Among weed management methods, 4 times conoweeding recorded maximum gross return (60,591 Rs/ha) being at par with 2 times conoweeding (59,833 Rs/ha) & weed free check (3HW) without conoweeding (55,906 Rs/ha) and significantly superior to other methods. However, 2 times conoweeding recorded maximum net return (44,336 Rs/ha) being at par with 4 times conoweeding (44,097 Rs/ha) & Butachlor application (39,721 Rs/ha) and significantly superior to the others. However, higher B: C ratio was found in 2 times conoweeding (2.86) and was found significantly superior to other treatments.
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AGRONOMIC MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVED RICE PRODUCTIVITY UNDER SYSTEM OF RICE INTENSIFICATION
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