Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Nitrogen Management on Growth and Yield of Rice

A field experiment entitled “Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Nitrogen Management on Growth and Yield of Rice” was conducted during the kharif season of 2019 and 2020 at the College Farm, Bapatla. The experiment was laid out in strip-plot design with three replications. The results revealed that among crop establishment methods, conventional tillage registered highest plant growth parameters at harvest like plant height (125.6 and 125.9 cm), number of tillers m^-2 (423.6 and 426.9), plant dry matter (13304 and 13443 kg ha^-1) and yield attributes i.e. the number of panicles m^-2 (302.6 and 305.3), number of grains panicle^-1 (219.3 and 225.3), grain (5870 and 5916 kg ha^-1) and straw yield (8049 and 8000 kg ha^-1) and was found statistically at par with dry seeding on puddled soil and significantly superior over rest of the treatments. Among nitrogen management, growth parameters at harvest i.e. plant height (125.9 and 128.0 cm), number of tillers m^-2 (427.2 and 429.3), plant dry matter (12390 and 12503 kg ha^-1) and yield parameters i.e. the number of panicles m^-2 (284.9 and 289.6), number of grains panicle^-1 (210.4 and 215.8), grain (5650 and 5699 kg ha^-1) and straw yield (7783 and 7526 kg ha^-1) the highest were recorded with the application of 50% STBN through fertilizer + 50% N through cured poultry manure (N₅), which was found statistically at par with 75% STBN through fertilizer + 25% N through cured poultry manure (N₄) and significantly superior over other treatments.

• Conventional tillage and dry seeding on puddled soil recorded the highest growth parameters, yield attributes and yield. While, significantly the lowest value of growth parameters, yield attributes and yield were recorded under minimum tillage.

• Among the nitrogen management, the highest growth, yield attributes and yield were recorded by 50% STBN through fertilizer along with 50% N through cured poultry manure.