Transplanting time of short-duration rice variety PR 126 decides the milling quality in Indo- Gangetic Plains of India

Buta Singh Dhillon; Kanu Priya  Sharma; Gurpreet  Singh; Gurpreet Kaur

doi:10.56093/ijas.v96i10.174221

Authors

Buta Singh Dhillon Punjab Agricultural University
Kanu Priya Sharma
Gurpreet Singh
Gurpreet Kaur

https://doi.org/10.56093/ijas.v96i10.174221

Keywords:

PR 126, Transplanting time, Grain yield, Milling quality, Water-use efficiency, Indo-Gangetic Plains

Abstract

Short-duration rice varieties are essential for sustaining the rice–wheat system of the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains (WIGPs), where water scarcity, delayed monsoon onset and the need for timely wheat establishment pose significant challenges. A multi-year field experiment was conducted during six kharif seasons (2016, 2018 and 2021–2024) at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to quantify the effects of transplanting time on the yield performance, water-use and milling quality of PR 126, an early-maturing, high-yielding rice variety developed by Punjab Agricultural University. Eight transplanting dates ranging from 15 June to 15 August were evaluated under puddled transplanted conditions in a randomised block design. Transplanting between late June and mid-July, particularly on 5 July, produced the highest grain yield (mean 85.6 q ha⁻¹) along with 8-19% irrigation water savings, while early (15^th June) and very late (15^th August) transplanting significantly reduced productivity. Grain moisture at harvest increased progressively with transplanting delay, rising from ~18 per cent in mid-June to ~29 per cent in mid-August, thereby raising post-harvest drying requirements. Milling quality parameters- brown rice recovery, milled rice recovery and head rice recovery-were also strongly influenced by transplanting time, with the optimum values observed under end June to mid-July transplanting. Very late transplanting caused substantial declines in grain quality due to unfavorable ripening conditions. Overall, transplanting PR 126 between 25^th June and 15^th July ensures the most favourable combination of yield, grain quality, water-use efficiency and timely field availability for the succeeding wheat crop, thus enhancing the sustainability of rice- wheat systems in the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

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