Abstract

Field experiments were conducted in clay loam soil in the wet land farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during rabi, 2011-12 and 2012-13 to evaluate the different crop establishment methods and weed management practices in lowland transplanted rice. The experiments were laid out in strip plot design with three replications. The treatments consisted of three crop establishment methods as horizontal strips and six weed management practices as vertical strips. The results of the study revealed that mechanical transplanting (30 x 20 cm) with conoweeding four times at 10 days interval, starting from 10 DAT had recorded better root characteristics such as root length, volume and dry weight attributing to higher nutrient uptake by rice resulting in higher grain and straw yield. This practice was comparable with mechanical transplanting (30 x 20 cm) with preemergence application of pretilachlor @ 0.75kg a.i. ha-1 + early post emergence of bispyribac sodium @ 20g a.i. ha -1 + conoweeding at 40 DAT.

Keywords: Machine planting, Nutrient uptake, Root dry weight, Grain and straw yield