Prof. Ram Kumar SinghPuja Kumari2016-12-192016-12-192016Kumari, P. 2016. Drought management in rice (Oryza sativa L.) with the use of hydrogel and bio-agent (Trichoderma) under Varanasi condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh. M. Sc. (Ag.) Thesis, Department of Agronomy, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, BHU, Varanasi.http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/91233The present investigation entitled “Drought management in rice (Oryza sativa L.) with the use of hydrogel and bio-agent (Trichoderma) under Varanasi condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh” on variety 64 and DRR 42 was conducted at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India during rainy (Kharif) season of 2015 with a view to test the comparative performance of hydrogel, bio agent (Trichoderma) and their combination on different attributes of rice plant. Factorial experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with two variety IR 64 and DRR 42 and five treatment consisting hydrogel, Trichoderma and their combination. Both the varieties were grown in pot and field plot. For seed treatment Trichoderma and hydrogel both were applied at the rate of 12 g kg-1 and seed treatment was done 24-36 hour before sowing. Various observations were recorded during the course of investigation including growth attributes, yield attributes and yields as affected by varietal difference and Trichoderma, hydrogel and their combination. Growth parameters were recorded at various phenological stages at 30 DAT followed by 60, 90 DAT and at harvest which included plant height, number of tillers hill-1, dry matter production m-1, relative growth rate, crop growth rate, root length, root weight and leaf area index. Similarly yield attributes viz., panicle length, panicle weight, number of panicles m-2, number of filled grains panicle-1, number of unfilled grains panicle-1 and 1000-grains weight, grain and straw yield and total uptake of the nutrients (NPK) were also noted to assess the effect of treatments. In pots days of emergence after sowing and after drought induction survival of different variety under different treatment was also recorded. Besides, protein content in grain and straw was also estimated. Rice variety DRR 42 responded favorably to all the treatment containing Trichoderma or hydrogel or their combination. The treatment having seed treatment with Trichoderma and hydrogel is most remunerative. The combination of hydrogel and Trichoderma has the capacity to improve drought tolerance under water stressed condition.enThesis