GROWTH AND PRODUCTIVITY OF HYBRID RICE AS INFLUENCED BY CROP ESTABLISHMENT TECHNIQUES, NITROGEN LEVELS AND HOMO-BRASSINOLIDE

Abstract

In a field experiment two crop establishment techniques viz. SRI and traditional, four nitrogen levels viz. N0, N50, N100 and N150 kg ha-1 and two spraying of homo-brassinolide viz. at panicle initiation (PI) stage and PI+ flowering stages. The results showed that SRI technique of crop establishment improved leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), total chlorophyll content and increased the grain yield, straw yield and harvest index. The leaf area index (LAI), crop growth rate (CGR), total chlorophyll content and increased the grain yield, straw yield and harvest index increased markedly by increasing nitrogen levels and spraying homo-brassinolide at PI+ flowering stages. SRI techniques of crop establishment recorded significantly higher grain yield (6603 and 6925 kg ha-1) as compared to traditional technique of crop establishment (5675 and 6039 kg ha-1) respectively. The highest grain yield (7508 and 7801 kg ha-1) was produced in crop receiving nitrogen 150 kg ha-1. Similarly, the highest grain yield (6507 and 6914 kg ha-1) was recorded in crop with spraying of homo-brassinolide at panicle initiation + flowering stages, respectively, during the both years.