Performance of medium duration rice as influenced by plant population and fertilizer levels

Abstract

In a few trials conducted at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pattambi, Kerala to assess the performance of IR 42 - a low fertilizer responsive rice variety - under different plant population and fertilizer management situations, it was found that the variety has the built-in ability to tolerate low fertility and at the same time respond to higher fertilizer doses than the recommended dose of 90 kg N, 45 kg P2Os and 45 kg K.iO/ha. The optimum plant population was found to be 33 hills/m . The highest net return and benefit cost ratio were associated with a plant population of 33 hills/m at full dose of fertilizer. But the return per rupee invested on fertilizer was more with 33 hills/m in the first crop season and with 25 hills/m in the second crop season at 50 per cent of the recommended dose of fertilizer.