PRODUCTIVITY OF RAINFED RICE (Oryza sativa L.) AS INFLUENCED BY CROP GEOMETRY IN THE CONTEXT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

On Farm Adaptive Research experiment was conducted during the Kharif season 2013 to assess the effect of crop geomerty in the context of climate change on productivity of rainfed rice (Oryza sativa L). Experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 3 treatments viz., 20 cm x 20 cm + Matka khad; 20 cm x 20 cm + neem and tobacco extract and 20 cm x 15 cm + inorganic fertilizers, conventional practice, each treatment replicated 9 times. Results of study revealed that significantly higher grain yield (7.78 t/ha), straw yield (17.06 t/ha), test weight (24.99 g) panicle length of (21.12 cm) were recorded in the treatment with 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + neem and tobacco extract. Further, this treatment has higher grain yield (15.17%), test weight (2.96%) and panicle length (17.66%) over the 20 cm x 15 cm spacing + inorganic fertilizers. Also this treatment has 12 and 32.65 % higher straw yield as compared to 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + Matka khad and 20 cm x 15 cm spacing + inorganic fertilizers respectively. Number of tillers/panicle in treatment containing 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + neem and tobacco extract (17.06) was statistically not different than the 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + Matka khad (17.89). The panicle length (20.54 cm) and test weight (24.83 g) at spacing 20 cm x 15 cm + inorganic fertilizers was found to be statistically at par with 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + neem and tobacco extract (24.99 g). Further, highest CGR (7.88 g/m 2 /day) and RGR (0.041 g/g/day) were recorded in treatment with 20 cm x 15 cm spacing + inorganic and 20 cm x 20 cm + Matka khad.. While maximum number of grains/panicle (136.67) was recorded in the treatment having 20 cm x 20 cm spacing + neem and tobacco extract.