Influence of High Density Planting under Modified System of Rice Intensification on Growth, Root Characteristics and Yield of Rice in Western zone of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the late Samba (September-January) season of 2018-19 to evaluate the growth, root characters, and yield of rice due to high-density planting. The soil of the experimental field was clay loam in texture with a neutral reaction. The experiment consisted of eight treatments with different spacing and fertilizer levels such as T 1-25cm x 25cm with 100% Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF), T 2-25cm x 20cm with 100% RDF, T 3-25cm x 15cm with 100% RDF, T 4-25cm x 15cm with 125% RDF, T 5-20cm x 20cm with 100% RDF, T 6-20cm x 15cm with 100% RDF, T 7-20cm x 15cm with 125% RDF and T 8-Conventional cultivation (20cm x 10cm with 100% RDF) and replicated thrice. The results revealed that significantly taller plants were recorded with all SRI treatments (T 1 to T 7) compared to conventional planting in all the stages except at maturity, which resulted in non-significant results. A reverse trend was noted with leaf area index and straw yield. Root length and root volume of rice were higher in wider planted treatments (T 1 , T 2 , and T 5) than other closer spaced treatments with the least in T 8. Treatments T 5 , T 4 and T 3 produced significantly higher grain yield over other treatments with the minimum in T 8. The results inferred that too wider and too closer spacing levels under the SRI method would lead to a reduction in yield though other growth parameters were recorded more.