Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Fertility Management on Growth, Yield and Economics of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The experiment was carried out at Agronomy Research Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India during Kharif 2021 and 2022. The study aims to determine the effect of crop establishment methods under fertility management on growth parameters of rice. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications. The treatment consisted of four crop establishment methods i.e., (M1) Transplanting rice (Conventional) (M2) Direct seeded rice by line sowing (Conventional) (M3) Drum seeded method under puddled condition,(M4) System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method kept in main plots .However, four nitrogen levels viz, (N1) 100% RDF (150: 60:40 kg N:P:K ha -1), (N2) 75% RDF +25% RDN through FYM, (N3) 75 % RDF + 25% RDN through vermi-compost (VC), (N4) 50 % RDF + 25 % RDN through V.C. + 25% RDN through FYM allotted the in sub plots. This way there was made 16 treatment combinations. As per the results the values of growth, yield and economics viz. plant height (cm), number of tillers m-2, dry matter accumulation (m-2), grain yield (q ha-1) , straw yield (q ha-1), biological yield (q ha-1) , harvest index % and economics of rice were increased significantly with system of rice intensification (SRI) method followed by transplanting method. However, in fertility management the application of 100% RDF [150: 60:40 N: P: K kg ha -1] recorded the maximum plant height, dry matter accumulation, no of tillers, grain yield (q ha-1) , straw yield (q ha-1), biological yield (q ha-1) , harvest index % and economics, which was at par with the application of 75 % RDF + 25% RDN through Vermi- compost and significantly superior over rest of the treatments.