Productivity and profitability of rice (Oryza sativa) hybrids as influenced by date of transplanting and age of seedling under system of rice intensification

The field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2012 and 2013 on sandy-clay loam soil at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to evaluate suitable date of transplanting (27 June, 7 July and 17 July) and age of seedling (10, 14 and 18-days-old) of rice (Oryza sativa L.) hybrids (‘PHB 71’ and ‘Pusa RH 10’) under system of rice intensification. Transplanting of rice on 27 June showed significantly higher growth parameters, viz. plant height, tillers/hill, leaf-area index (LAI) and dry-matter accumulation, and also superior in phenology, effective tillers/m², grains/panicle and grain weight as compared to 7 July and 17 July planting. Further, grain yield, net returns, benefit: cost ratio and nutrient uptake were significantly increased by 27 June transplanting over rest of the dates of transplanting. Of the rice cultivars, ‘PHB 71’ exhibited significantly higher growth parameters, phenology, yield attributes, yield, net returns, benefit: cost ratio and nutrient uptake over ‘Pusa RH 10’. The 10-day-old seedlings registered 12.9% and 6.4% higher grain yield than seedlings of 14 days and 18 days by significant improvement in growth parameters, and nutrient uptake. Rice ‘PHB 71’ transplanted on 27 June with 10-day-old seedlings exhibited 33.9% higher grain yield over the transplanting on 17 July of 18-day-old seedlings. Moreover, aromatic hybrid rice ‘Pusa RH 10’ planted on 27 June with 10-day-old seedlings improved grain yield by 38.3% as compared to it planted on 17 July with 18-day-old seedlings.