Abstract

An Investigation was carried out during dry season (DS) of 2007 to study the effect of water deficit and its alleviation using Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) / Bio-fertilizers / Chemicals in two different planting methods viz., System of Rice Intensification (‘SRI’) and traditional planted rice (‘TPR’) using ADT 43 variety. The result showed that the stressed plants of SRI (M2 ) maintained high values of RWC (84.50 %), LWP (-1.70 MPa), Proline (7.96 µmoles g-1), LDR (0.177 s cm-1) and Transpiration rate (39.34 µg H2O cm-2 s-1 ) than that of the TPR (M4 ) method of planting (RWC: 83.64 %; LWP: -1.86 MPa; Proline: 8.22 µmoles g-1; LDR: 0.188 s cm-1 and Transpiration rate: 33.99 µg H2 O cm-2 s-1 ) at flowering stage. Foliar spray of PPFM (S5 ) excelled rest of the treatments. For the stressed category, interactive effect of M2×S5 was the best performer of RWC (88.70 %), LWP (-1.43 MPa), Proline (9.89 µmoles g-1), LDR (0.161s cm-1) and transpiration rate (44.36 µg H2 O cm-2 s-1) at flowering stage. Mean grain yield reduction of 22.3 and 31.6 per cent as noticed in the water stress treatment of SRI and conventional transplanting methods could be narrowed down to 6.5 and 12.3 per cent respectively with supplementation stress ameliorants

Keywords: Planting methods, Water stress, Ameliorants, RWC, LWP, Proline, LDR Transpiration rate