Effect of Nutrient Management and Planting Geometry on Productivity of Hybrid Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) Cultivars

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted during the wet seasons of 2006 and 2007 at the Agricultural Experimental Farm of the Indian Statistical Institute, Giridih, a part of eastern plateau region of India. The study was designed to investigate the effect of planting geometry and nutrient management practices on productivity of two hybrid rice cultivars. Split-plot design with three replications was adopted to carry out the experiment by allocating combinations of treatments of planting geometry and rice cultivar in main-plots and nutrient management treatments in sub-plots. “CNRH-3” rice proved its efficiency in terms of grain yield that was also reflected in yield attributing characters such as number of productive tillers, number of grains per panicle, length of panicle, panicle weight, test weight and harvest index. Higher rice grain yield was registered when the cultivars grown in 20 cm × 20 cm planting geometry. Rice cultivars grown with the application of inorganic fertilizers alone produced maximum grain yield and also recorded higher values of ancillary characters. The maximum amount of N, P and K was taken up by the “CNRH-3” rice, whereas maximum residual soil fertility was recorded in “Pro Agro 6201” rice. Maximum N, P and K uptake values were recorded in 20 cm × 20 cm crop geometry and inorganic fertilizers treatment.