Alternate Crop Establishment Methods for Water-Saving and High Rice Productivity in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

A field study was carried for two consecutive kharif and rabi seasons of 2013-14 and 2014-15 on farmer’s fields across 15 locations each year during kharif and 9 locations each year - during rabi in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. We tested five crop establishment methods viz., dry direct sowing using fertilizer-cum seed drill under irrigated conditions, drum seeding, systems of rice intensification (SRI), mechanized transplanting using rice 8 row yanmar transplanter, and manual transplanting. Study findings revealed that transplanting with rice planter emerged as high yielding method of establishment where the grain yield was higher by 9.21% over manual transplanting. Dry direct sowing was found to be highly profitable method of rice establishment by recording higher net returns Rs. 12596/ha compared to manual planting. Dry direct sowing and SRI proved as water productive rice establishment methods which took lesser water by 22.45% and 18.78% compared to manual transplanting during kharif. Whereas during rabi, drum seeding proved as profitable and water saving method of crop establishment in rice.