MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Location: file:///C:/EA435656/Abstract16.htm Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" System of Rice Intensification (SRI) versus Traditional method of Ri= ce Cultivation (TRC)

Influence of spacing and age of seedling on grain yie= ld of rice in SRI

 

P. Raghu<= /span> Rami Reddy, G. Veeranna a= nd L. Jalapathi Rao

Agricultural Research Station, ANGRAU, Warangal-506 007, AP

 

 

        &= nbsp;   In India, rice is being cultivated in about 45 million hectares and normal production= is about 90 million tonnes.  From the last few years so, rice y= ields were almost stagnant (Khush, 1996).  An innovative method-system of rice intensification (SRI) first developed by Fr. Henri de = Laulanie in Madagascar and being popularised by U= phopff (2003), holds a promising role to play in this context.  So far the yield data generated in= SRI is pertaining to onfarm studies without much scientific base.  So there is = need to evaluate SRI, systematically before advocating= to farmers.  A package of six cultural practices constitutes the SRI technology.  In the present study two important practices, age of seedlings and spacing were taken as variables keeping other practices common and field experiments were conducted.

 

        &= nbsp;   Adoption of closer spacing of 20 x 20 cm significantly recorded higher grain yield (62.13 q/ha) over 25 x 25 cm (59.00 q/ha) and 30 x 30 (54.69 q/ha). Similar trend was observed in dry season also, with higher yields. Optimum spacing depends on soil structure, soil nutrients, temperature<= /span> and moisture conditions. In the present study, adoption of spacing of 20 x = 20 cm, found to be advantageous. These results are in contrast to the findings= of Reddy et al., (2004) where no significant difference in grain yield was obs= erved due to spacings of 20 x 20cm to 40 x 40 cm with BPT-5204 and Tellahamsa. In wet season transpla= nting 10 days seedlings significantly recorded lower grain yield (56.59 q/ha) ove= r 15 days (59.74 q/ha) and 20 days (59.48 q/ha).  The reasons for such results are n= ot clear.  During dry season transplanting 10 days and 15 days seedlings significantly recorded higher g= rain yield (69.89 q/ha and 68.06 q/ha) over 20 days seedling (61.92 q/ha).  The increase in grain yield may be= due to Phyllochron effect (stoop et al., 2002).  Spacing of 20 x 20 cm with either 1= 5 or 20 days seedlings during wet season and 10 or 15 days during dry season sho= uld be followed in SRI.

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