Effect of different fertilizer management practices on growth, yield, and yield attributing characters of transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Morang Districts of Nepal

Abstract:

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is edible starchy cereal grain which is economically and culturally most important food crop and regarded as worlds 3rd crop on the basis of volume of production. Transplanted rice involves pulling up of 20-25 old seedling of rice from nursery bed to puddled main fields for better crop establishment and weed control. The field work was conducted from 2nd week of June to 1st week of December at the research field of G. P. Koirala College of Agriculture and Research Centre (GPCAR), Gothgaun, Morang, using the late-maturing tall rice cultivars Lalka basmati. The field trial was performed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) having ten treatments including control with each treatment replicated for 3 times. Data was analysis using excel, and rstudio. Pearson correlation coefficient of the various variable was determined. Nitrogen fertilizer application significantly influenced the growth, tillers, yield and yield attributing characters of transplanted rice. The highest plant height and number of tillers per hills was recorded from the ‘T6’ treated plot with nitrogen (N) was double than that of the recommended dose of fertilizer for our locality. Yield-attributing characters such as panicle length (25.27cm) and number of grains per panicle (145.33) were highest in ‘T6’, while thousand grain weight was maximum in ‘T4’ (17.45gm) and sterility percentage was lowest in ‘T4’ (43.69%). Grain yield ranges from 1.54 mt/ha in ‘T1’ to 6.08 mt/ha in’T4’. Similarly, straw yield ranges from 6.84 mt/ha in’T1’ to 12.43 mt/ha in ‘T4’. Higher nitrogen level improved growth, panicle length and number of grains per panicle but fails to improve the grain yield, straw yield and harvest index due to sudden change in climate and lodging.