Abstract

Shortages of labour, water and the adverse effects of puddled soil health are forcing farmers to switch from puddled transplant to alternate rice production system. The experiment results showed that sowing of seed @ 40kg ha-1 by multi crop planter (Happy seeder) under dry condition. Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) method of irrigation along with the fertilizer dose of 120:50:50 NPK kg ha-1, weed management by the application of Pretilachlor @ 0.45 l ha-1 on 5 DAS and two machine weeding on 30 and 45 DAS had recorded the highest establishment percentage, optimum number of productive tillers, the highest number of grains per panicle, the highest grain yield (8.16 t ha-1), net income (74,477 Rs ha-1), BCR(3.80) and the highest water use efficiency (0.58 kg ha-1 mm-1). Sowing of seed @ 40 kg ha-1 by multi crop planter (Happy seeder) under dry condition and AWD method of irrigation is important to achieve higher establishment percentage, higher production of grain and straw yield, BCR and WUE. Lesser weed density, higher weed control efficiency and higher plant height was achieved under continuous submerged irrigation. Similarly, increase in seed rate reduced the weed density and increased the weed control efficiency.

Keywords: Direct sown rice, Mechanised production, WUE