Nutrient Uptake and Soil Health as Influenced by Plant Density and Age of Seedlings of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Modified SRI Method of Planting

Abstract

during samba (August-December) seasons of 2012 and 2013 to find out the optimum crop geometry, age and number of seedlings on growth and physiological characters in relation to yield of low land rice. The experiment consisted of three mainplot treatments viz., M 1 -25 x 25 cm, M 2 -25 x 20 cm and M 3 -25 x 15 cm and six sub-plot treatments S 1 -14 day old seedlings (DOS)+1 seedling/hill, S 2 -14 DOS+2 seedlings/hill, S 3 -14 DOS+3 seedlings/hill, S 4 -21 DOS+1 seedling/hill, S 5 -21 DOS+2 seedlings/hill and S 6 -21 DOS+3 seedlings/hill and replicated thrice in a split plot design. The treatment combination of M 3 S 5 (25 x 15 cm spacing and 21 DOS with two seedlings hill -1 ) recorded higher nitrogen uptake than others at panicle initiation, flowering and harvest stages. The same trend was followed on phosphorus and potassium also.