Performance of aromatic rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes as influenced by integrated nitrogen management

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) season of 2010 and 2011 at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to study the performance of aromatic rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes as influenced by integrated nitrogen management (INM). The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with 3 replications. The treatments comprised 3 aromatic rice genotypes (‘Pusa Basmati 1’, ‘PRH 10’ and ‘HUR 105’) in main plots and 7 INM practices [100% recommended nitrogen dose (RND), 75% RND + 25% RND as farmyard manure/vermicompost (FYM/VC), 75% RND + 25% RND as FYM/VC] along with biofertilizer blue green algae (BGA)/Azospirillum in subplots. The genotype ‘PRH 10’ recorded significantly higher dry matter (DM) (36.8 g/hill), panicles/m² (306.9), grains/panicle (133.0), 1,000-grain weight (22.4 g), grain yield (5.19 tonnes/ha), straw yield (7.55 tonnes/ha), total N uptake (103.0 kg/ha), N-use efficiency (57.6 kg/kg) and net returns ( 53,518/ha) than ‘Pusa Basmati 1’ but were at par with ‘HUR 105’. Among the INM, application of 75% RND + 25% RND as VC + BGA gave significantly highest plant height (105.8 cm), DM (39.5 g/hill), panicle/m² (321.1), grains/panicle (138.2), 1,000-grain weight (22.7 g), grain yield (5.16 tonnes/ha), straw yield (7.77 tonnes/ha), total N uptake (105.7 kg/ha), N-use efficiency (57.3 kg/kg), net returns ( 54,376/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.0) over other treatments and remained at par with application of 75% RND + 25% RND as FYM + BGA.