EFFECT OF NITROGEN LEVEL AND TIME OF APPLICATION ON YIELD AND WATER USE EFFICIENCY OF AEROBIC RICE

NARAYAN HEBBAL¹*, C. RAMACHANDRA², K.N. KALYAN MURTHY³, MALLAREDDY⁴, D.S. PRABHUDEV^5
1Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560024 Karnataka
²Department Agronomy, Zonal Agricultural Research Station, VC Farm, Mandya, 571405, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka
³Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560024 Karnataka
⁴Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560024 Karnataka
⁵Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, 560024 Karnataka
* Corresponding Author : narayan4902@gmail.com

Received : 28-12-2016     Accepted : 10-01-2017     Published : 18-01-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 3       Pages : 3690 - 3693
Int J Agr Sci 9.3 (2017):3690-3693

Keywords : Aerobic rice, Nitrogen levels, Time of application, Yield, Water use efficiency
Academic Editor : Dr Sanbagavalli Subramanian
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : The author is thankful to Dr. C. Ramachandra, Professor of Agronomy, AICRP on Rice, Zonal Agricultural Research Station, V.C. Farm, Mandya
Author Contribution : None declared

Rice is the most important staple food crop. Aerobic rice is a new method of growing rice characterized by direct seeding condition without standing water. Nitrogen nutrition is the major agronomic practice that affects the yield and quality of rice crop. Water use efficiency or water productivity is the ratio of grain yield to total water input was found to be increasing with the increasing levels of nitrogen. Significantly higher water use efficiency was noticed with the application of 125 kg N ha-1 (57.59 kg hacm-1) followed by application 100 kg N ha-1 (53.43 kg hacm-1) and significantly superior over 75 kg N ha-1 (49.00 kg hacm-1). Application of nitrogen in 4 splits (25%N at basal dose + 25% N at tillering + 25% N at PIstage +25%N at PE) resulted in higher water use efficiency (59.32 kg hacm-1) followed by 3 splits application (33 % N at basal dose + 33% N at tillering +33 % N at PI stage) (55.71 kg hacm-1) and lower water use efficiency was with nitrogen in 2 splits (50 % N at 15 DAE + 50 % N at PI stage) (47.23 kg hacm-1).