Rajesh G
Standardisation of mat nursery for rice - Vellanikkara Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture 2003
A field experiment was conducted during May to September 2002 at the
Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Thrissur to develop a suitable production
package for rice mat nursery, evaluate it under mechanical transplanting and
develop it as a substitute for conventional nursery for manual planting. The s~dy
consisted of three experiments. (J) Raising of sixteen types of mat nurseries using
. .
four different media in two ratios under two systems (dry and wet) and its
evaluation. (II) Mechanical transplanting of these sixteen types of mat nurseries
along with manual planting of conventional nursery and crop performance study.
(Ill) Manual transplanting of sixteen types of mat nursery along with conventional
nursery and crop evaluation. Experiment-I was designed in GRD, while
experiment-II and experiment-Ill were laid out in Randomised Block Design, with
two replications each. Rice variety Kanchana, was tried in the experiment.
Results revealed that soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2: 1 in the mat produced
taller seedlings and coir pith compost produced shorter seedlings. Presence 'of cow
dung produced dark green seedlings with maximum number of healthy and
minimum number of weak seedlings. Soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2:1 produced
heavy mats under both systems. Presence of chaff in the media resulted in stronger
mats. The performance of the transplanter, as it is a fixed parameter for the machine
was unaltered by the different media and systems of nursery. But generally, the
,
'. number of missing hills was lower under dry system, compared to wet system.
In case of experiment-Il, a higher plant population of 65 hills m-2 was seen
associated with the crop raised under manual planting using conventional nursery.
But the same crop produced a significantly lower number of tillers hill-1 throughout
its growth period and the crop had 9.5 tillers nnr', at the time of harvest. The
physiological growth attributes, observed through CGR, RGR and NAR was
distinctively lower for the manuaIIy planted crop using conventional nursery in the
initial stages of growth, but the trend disappeared in the later stages, indicating a
uniform rate of growth. The insect pest attack was uniform without any variation
due to treatments. Incidence of BLB was higher in case of mechanically planted
crop using soil+ coir pith compost in 2: 1 ratio under dry nursery and soil+ coir pith
raw in 2:] ratio under wet nursery. Among the yield components, number of
'panicles m-2 and test weight were not altered by the treatments. The maximum
number of filled ,grains panicle" was seen in case of soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2:]
,as the media under dry system (61). However, the final grain and straw yield
remained unaffected due to the various treatments with a mean value of 4344 and
7464 kg ha" respectively. The NPK content of the grain and total uptake ofP and
K by the crop were influenced by the various treatments. Under dry system soil+
coir pith raw and soil+ chaff in the ratios 2: 1 and in wet system soi1+ cow dung in
the ratio 1:2 and soil+ coir pith compost in the ratio 2: 1 were economically
superior and can be the mat nursery media for mechanical transplanting.
The use of mat nursery instead of conventional nursery did not prolong the
time required for manual planting. Conventional nursery recorded a lower tiller
production (8.8 at the time of harvest). Similar level of tiller production was seen
in cases of soil+ chaff in either of the ratios and soil+ coir pith raw in the ratio 1:2.
The pest and disease incidence, except rice bug, did not show any discrimination
between the treatments. SoiI+ chaff in the ratio ]:2 under dry system had a higher
population of bugs (2.7 per hill). Soil+ coir pith raw in the ratio 2: 1 under both the
systems had the highest number of panicles m-2 i.e., 352 and 341, respectively.
Conventional nursery had the lowest number of filled grains panicle" (31). The
grain yield was unaffected, due to treatments and the mean grain yield was 4441 kg
ha-I. Straw yield was influenced by the different treatments. A very low harvest
index value of 0.3 was recorded for the crop. Crop raised using conventional
nursery had a very low B:C ratio (l.05) and all mechanically planted crops had
higher B:C ratio than this.
As the grain yield was not affected due to the various treatments, the
selection of mat should be based basically on economic consideration. Soil+ coir
.pith raw as well as soil+ chaff in the ratio of 2: 1 under dry system, and soil+ cow
dung in the ratio] :2 and soi1+ coir pith compost in the ratio 2:], under wet system
could be a better option for mechanical transplanting based on the economics.
Soil+ cow dung in 1:2 ratio and soi1+ chaff in 2: 1 ratio under both systems, and
soil+ coir pith raw in 1:2 ratio under dry system and soil+ coir pith raw in 2: 1 ratio
under wet system were found economically suitable. for manual planting.
630 / RAJ/ST
Standardisation of mat nursery for rice - Vellanikkara Department of Agronomy, College of Horticulture 2003
A field experiment was conducted during May to September 2002 at the
Agricultural Research Station, Mannuthy, Thrissur to develop a suitable production
package for rice mat nursery, evaluate it under mechanical transplanting and
develop it as a substitute for conventional nursery for manual planting. The s~dy
consisted of three experiments. (J) Raising of sixteen types of mat nurseries using
. .
four different media in two ratios under two systems (dry and wet) and its
evaluation. (II) Mechanical transplanting of these sixteen types of mat nurseries
along with manual planting of conventional nursery and crop performance study.
(Ill) Manual transplanting of sixteen types of mat nursery along with conventional
nursery and crop evaluation. Experiment-I was designed in GRD, while
experiment-II and experiment-Ill were laid out in Randomised Block Design, with
two replications each. Rice variety Kanchana, was tried in the experiment.
Results revealed that soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2: 1 in the mat produced
taller seedlings and coir pith compost produced shorter seedlings. Presence 'of cow
dung produced dark green seedlings with maximum number of healthy and
minimum number of weak seedlings. Soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2:1 produced
heavy mats under both systems. Presence of chaff in the media resulted in stronger
mats. The performance of the transplanter, as it is a fixed parameter for the machine
was unaltered by the different media and systems of nursery. But generally, the
,
'. number of missing hills was lower under dry system, compared to wet system.
In case of experiment-Il, a higher plant population of 65 hills m-2 was seen
associated with the crop raised under manual planting using conventional nursery.
But the same crop produced a significantly lower number of tillers hill-1 throughout
its growth period and the crop had 9.5 tillers nnr', at the time of harvest. The
physiological growth attributes, observed through CGR, RGR and NAR was
distinctively lower for the manuaIIy planted crop using conventional nursery in the
initial stages of growth, but the trend disappeared in the later stages, indicating a
uniform rate of growth. The insect pest attack was uniform without any variation
due to treatments. Incidence of BLB was higher in case of mechanically planted
crop using soil+ coir pith compost in 2: 1 ratio under dry nursery and soil+ coir pith
raw in 2:] ratio under wet nursery. Among the yield components, number of
'panicles m-2 and test weight were not altered by the treatments. The maximum
number of filled ,grains panicle" was seen in case of soil+ cow dung in the ratio 2:]
,as the media under dry system (61). However, the final grain and straw yield
remained unaffected due to the various treatments with a mean value of 4344 and
7464 kg ha" respectively. The NPK content of the grain and total uptake ofP and
K by the crop were influenced by the various treatments. Under dry system soil+
coir pith raw and soil+ chaff in the ratios 2: 1 and in wet system soi1+ cow dung in
the ratio 1:2 and soil+ coir pith compost in the ratio 2: 1 were economically
superior and can be the mat nursery media for mechanical transplanting.
The use of mat nursery instead of conventional nursery did not prolong the
time required for manual planting. Conventional nursery recorded a lower tiller
production (8.8 at the time of harvest). Similar level of tiller production was seen
in cases of soil+ chaff in either of the ratios and soil+ coir pith raw in the ratio 1:2.
The pest and disease incidence, except rice bug, did not show any discrimination
between the treatments. SoiI+ chaff in the ratio ]:2 under dry system had a higher
population of bugs (2.7 per hill). Soil+ coir pith raw in the ratio 2: 1 under both the
systems had the highest number of panicles m-2 i.e., 352 and 341, respectively.
Conventional nursery had the lowest number of filled grains panicle" (31). The
grain yield was unaffected, due to treatments and the mean grain yield was 4441 kg
ha-I. Straw yield was influenced by the different treatments. A very low harvest
index value of 0.3 was recorded for the crop. Crop raised using conventional
nursery had a very low B:C ratio (l.05) and all mechanically planted crops had
higher B:C ratio than this.
As the grain yield was not affected due to the various treatments, the
selection of mat should be based basically on economic consideration. Soil+ coir
.pith raw as well as soil+ chaff in the ratio of 2: 1 under dry system, and soil+ cow
dung in the ratio] :2 and soi1+ coir pith compost in the ratio 2:], under wet system
could be a better option for mechanical transplanting based on the economics.
Soil+ cow dung in 1:2 ratio and soi1+ chaff in 2: 1 ratio under both systems, and
soil+ coir pith raw in 1:2 ratio under dry system and soil+ coir pith raw in 2: 1 ratio
under wet system were found economically suitable. for manual planting.
630 / RAJ/ST