Evaluation of rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars under different crop establishment methods to enhance productivity, profitability and energetics of rice in middle Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

Field investigation was undertaken at the ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna to evaluate the performance of nine promising rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes (‘IR83387-B-B-40-1’, ‘Shusk Samrat’, ‘Abhishek’, ‘IR82870 11’, ‘Sahbhagi Dhan’, ‘CR Dhan 40’, ‘IR84899-B-183-CRA-19-1’, ‘IR83387-B-B-27-4’ and ‘IR83376-B-B24-2’) under 2-crop establishment methods i.e. puddle transplanted rice (PTR) and unpuddled transplanted rice (UPTR) during the rainy (kharif) seasons of 2013 and 2014. Results showed that PTR produced significantly higher grain yield (4.20 t/ha) than UPTR (3.29 t/ha). Among the rice genotypes, ‘IR83387-B-B-27-4’ (4.38 t/ha) being on par with ‘IR83387-B-B-40-1’ (4.20 t/ha) recorded significantly higher grain yield over rest of the genotypes. The maximum net returns (25.9×10³/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (1.98) were recorded with PTR. Among the rice genotypes, ‘IR83387-B-B-27-4’ had significantly the highest net returns (34.8×10³/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (2.33). UPTR gave the highest energy efficiency, energy productivity and energy profitability (1.9, 0.06 kg/MJ and 0.9 MJ/ha) than PTR (1.5, 0.05 kg/MJ and 0.50 MJ/ha). Hence, growing of rice genotypes ‘IR83387-B-B-27-4’ and ‘IR83387-B-B-40-1’ under PTR condition is better option to obtain the maximum productivity and profitability in this region.