Effect of establishment methods and nitrogen levels on basmati rice (Oryza sativa)

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season 2010 and 2011 at the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, with 6 establishment methods in horizontal plots and 4 nitrogen levels in vertical plots in strip-plot design on sandy-loam soil. Machine transplanted basmati rice (Oryza sativa L.) after puddling being statistically on par with direct-seeding methods, showing significantly higher values of growth and yield attributes. Yield attributes like panicle length and 1,000-grain weight were statistically at par among different methods of establishment, but spikelets/panicle and grains/panicle were significantly higher with machine-transplanted basmati rice after puddling. Machine transplanted rice after puddling gave 0.87, 2.67, 4.53, 4.85 and 7.12% more grain yield over direct-seeded basmati rice with brown manuring, direct-seeded basmati rice without brown manuring, conventional transplanted rice, machine transplanted rice in zero-tilled plots with brown manuring and machine transplanted rice in zero tilled plots without brown manuring respectively. Machine transplanting after puddling recorded significantly higher N-use efficiency followed by direct-seeded basmati rice with brown manuring and machine transplanting in zero-tilled plots with brown manuring. Direct-seeding of basmati rice and machine transplanting of basmati rice in zero-tilled plots showed the benefit: cost ratio and net return, and hence proved more remunerative than machine transplanting after puddling and conventional practice. The plant growth characters, yield attributes, grain and straw yields were significantly higher with application of 125% of recommended dose of nitrogen. 125% of recommended dose of nitrogen showed significantly higher N-use efficiency as compared to all other nitrogen levels.