Evaluation of direct-seeded rice drill against Japanese manual

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 2009 at Ludhiana to test the performance of direct-seeded drill against manual transplanter. Four treatments were evaluated, viz T1, direct-seeded drill with adjustment of 30 kg/ha seed rate, T2, direct-seeded drill with adjustment of 15 kg/ha seed rate, T3, drum-seeded puddled transplanted rice with seed rate of 50 kg/ha, T4, transplanting with Japanese manual transplanter. Grain yield found to be highest in T4 treatment (7.85 tonnes/ha), followed by T1 (7.8 tonnes/ha), T2 (7.2 tonnes/ha) and T3 treatments (6.1 tonnes/ha), respectively. However, it was found statistically same in T1, T2 and T4 treatments. Grain yield in drum-seeded puddled transplanted rice decreased due to poor crop establishment which favoured more crop-weed competition at the early stage caused reduction in panicles/m2 and 1 000-grain weight. Yield attributes were also found statistically same in T1, T2 and T4 method. In direct seeded crop, T1 showed more superiority than T2 treatment revealed that 30 kg/ha seed rate in direct-seeded drill is optimum which favoured better plant growth, especially at the early stage due to having smothering effect on weeds.