Abstract

                                Field experiment was conducted at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to find out the tiller dynamics, light interception ercentage of rice cultivars under system of rice intensification as influenced by nursery techniques and spacing. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design. The main plot treatments include two nursery techniques such as mat and conventional nursery to raise seedling for SRI and two cultivars viz., CORH 3 hybrid and ADT 43 variety and sub plot consisted three square crop geometry levels viz., 25 x 25 cm, 30 x 30 cm and 35 x 35 cm, with three replications. The results revealed that, tillering behaviour, phyllochron and grain yield did not vary due to nursery techniques. Regarding crop spacing tillering behaviour, phyllochron and rate of leaf appearance was faster in widely planted rice cultivars compared to 25 x 25 cm spacing. Light interception percentage was higher in CORH 3 and also closer spacing intercepted the more light than wider spacing. Regarding yield the performance CORH 3 was superior over ADT 43 as it produced 16.9 per cent higher yield and 25x25 cm for variety (ADT 43), 30x30 cm for hybrid (CORH 3) is optimum for obtaining higher grain yield.

Key words : Tillering behaviour, leaf emergence rate, light interception, grain yield.