Elite seedling production in modified mat nursery for rice cultivati= on under SRI system

Elite seedling production in modified mat nursery for rice cultivation under SRI system

A. Sabir-= Ahamed and V. Ravi

Soil and Water Management Research Institute, Thanjavur – 613 501, Tamil Nadu

&= nbsp; System of rice intensification (SRI) is a set of soil, water, nutrient and crop management practices, which provides better growing condition for rice plan= ts. Among the key components of SRI method of rice cultivation, the use of young seedling is the single and foremost important component which contributes higher yield. Establishment of transplanted rice seedlings depends on the growth of new roots and associated characters of seedling. High vigour, least injury and early recouping with least transplanting shock are the preferential characteristics of seedlings for productivity enhancement under SRI. Therefore, vigour<= /span> rich or elite seedlings are to be produced by combing various means viz., seed fortification, medium enrichment and supplemental nutrient management to get optimum seedling gro= wth with in 14 days after sowing (DAS). In an effort to produce such elite seedlings, seeds of rice ADT 43 possessing >80 per cent germination were given seed fortification treatment with 1 % KCl= and sown in the modified mat nursery containing soil medium applied with powder= ed DAP @ 50 g/m², Pseudomon= as fluorescence @ 6 g/m², vermicompost @ 0.5 kg/m², VAM @ 50 g/m²and Azo= phos @ 20 g/m² in four treatment combinations and drenched with either 0.5 % urea or 0.5 % DAP at 9DAS. For check, seed were sown with out seed fortification in the existing modified mat nursery containing soil medium applied with powdered DAP @ 25 g/m² and drenched with 0.5 % urea= at 9DAS. The biometric observations were recorded at 14 DAS. Though, the germi= nation per cent was not influenced by the 1 % KCl seed fortification treatment, the seedling vigour in= dex (germination % x seedling dry weight) was significantly improved in all the treatment combinations received seed fortification treatment. The treatment= combination involving seed fortification, DAP @ 50 g/m² and Pseudomonas fluorescence drenched with 0.5% urea improved the o= ver all seedling vigour in terms of higher root gro= wth, seedling fresh and dry weight, tillers and leaf numbers over check. The above combination was found= to be the second best when drenched with 0.5% DAP. However, the addition of vermicompost, VAM and Azophos to the above treatments did not produce additive or synergistic effect in any = of the growth parameters observed. Similarly, none of the treatment combinatio= ns could influence the seedling height significantly. After transplanting, the seedlings received KCl seed fortification, DAP @ 50 g/m² and Pseudo= monas fluorescence drenched with 0.5% urea established early in the main fiel= d with very less mortality rate. While the above treatment added an extra cost of = Rs. 1.25/ m² to the existing modified mat nursery, inclusion of organics to the above treatment incurred an additional cost of Rs. 8.15/ m².

****