Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Nitrogen Levels on Phenology, Quality, Nutrient Content and Uptake of Coarse Rice

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2020 at the farm of College of Agriculture, Kaul (Kaithal) of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. The objective of the experiment was to study the response of a short-duration non-scented rice variety called HKR-48 to nitrogen fertilization under two different methods of crop establishment. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design (RBD) factorial design with the two establishment methods (direct seeding and transplanting) as main plot treatments and six levels of nitrogen (0, 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 kg/ha) as sub-plot treatments, with three replications. The results of the experiment showed that the transplanted crop took longer to initiate tillering, anthesis (flowering), and reached maturity slightly earlier compared to the direct-seeded crop. However, both establishment methods showed similar timing for panicle emergence. The methods of crop establishment did not have a significant effect on kernel length, kernel breadth, NPK content, and protein content of the grains. However, the transplanted crop had improved hulling, milling, and head rice recovery compared to the direct-seeded crop. With increasing nitrogen levels, there was a delay in the days taken to attain tillering, panicle emergence, anthesis, and physiological maturity, following a graded response. The kernel length and breadth were not influenced by the graded doses of nitrogen. However, the quality parameters such as hulling, milling, head rice recovery, and protein content of the grains improved significantly with increasing nitrogen levels. The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content in the grain and straw remained unaffected by the different nitrogen doses, except for nitrogen content. The uptake of NPK by the crop (grain and straw) showed an increasing trend with higher nitrogen application