Effect of Dates of Sowing on Grain Yield of Rabi Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Aim: To determine the optimum date of sowing to realize higher grain yield in rabi rice.

Study Design: Split plot.

Place and Duration of Study: Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Rudrur, Nizamabad during rabi, 2022.

Methodology: The experiment consisted of a total of fifteen treatments which were laid out in split plot design with three replications. Treatments included were five dates of sowing in the main plot M1-20th November, M2-1st December, M3-10th December, M4-20th December, and M5-30th December and three treatments of varieties in subplots S1-JGL 24423 (long slender variety), S2-Ganga Kaveri (medium slender variety) and S3-RNR 15048 (short slender variety) randomly placed in subplots of the main plot.

Results: Maximum plant height (100.3 cm), number of tillers m-2 (432), dry matter accumulation (15869 kg ha-1), grain yield (7219 kg ha-1), straw yield(8387 kg ha-1) and HI (46.1) was noticed in crop Sownon 30thDecember. Significantly maximum number of tillers m-2, dry matter accumulation (14263 kg ha-1), grain yield (6127 kg ha-1), straw yield (8650 kg ha-1) was observed in S2-Ganga Kaveriwhile significantly higher plant height (100.6 cm) and HI (45.0) was found in S3-RNR 15048. Lowest height was recorded in S2-Ganga Kaveri (92.6 cm), and above parameters were recorded lowest in crop sown on 20th November, while lowest number of tillers m-2and straw yield (8122 kg ha-1) was observed in crop sown on 1st December.Significantlyless number of tillers m-2 (326), dry matter accumulation (13981 kg ha-1), grain yield (6166 kg ha-1), straw yield (7526 kg ha-1) was recorded in S3-RNR 15048, while lowest HI (43.9) was recorded in S1-JGL 24423.

Conclusion: Crop sown on 30thDecember revealed better performance in terms of grain yield under the present study during Rabi conditions. Among varieties, Ganga Kaveri (S2) performed better in terms of grain yield.