Rainfed rice - IRRI books - International Rice Research Institute

RAINFED RICE A SOURCEBOOK OF BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES IN EASTERN INDIA
Advantages of direct sowing
Lower labour requirement
Eliminates seedling raising, uprooting and
transplanting
Lower water requirement for crop establishment
Matures 7-10 days earlier than transplanted crop
Sowing in dry soil and in dry season is possible
Disadvantages of direct sowing
Poor establishment due to exposure of seeds
High weed infestation
Low tillering
Tendency to lodge due to poor root development
Good soil tilth is essential for good growth
The dry season rice
is called aus in
West Bengal, ahu in
Assam and beali in
Orissa.
Sowing at proper depth leads to better germination and emergence
100
This method is also used in shifting
cultivation in the northeastern hills
either as a pure or as a mixed crop.
THE METHOD
1. Plough the land deeply after
applying organic manures at least
three weeks before sowing.
2. Complete six to eight ploughings
to plough the soil into good tilth
in heavy soil.
3. Apply a full dose of P 2 O 5 just
before the last ploughing.
4. Compact the soil by laddering or
wooden planks to conserve
moisture.
5. Treat the seeds by mixing Indofil
M-45/captaf/foltaf at 2.5 g/kg of
seed by agitating them for five
minutes.
6. Sow the seeds behind the plough
in furrows 15-20 cm apart and at
2-5 cm depth according to the soil
moisture. The higher the
moisture, the shallower is the
seed placement. Cover the seeds
by laddering.
7. Sow 80-100 kg of seeds per
hectare to ensure a good plant
stand.
8. Do not apply N and K 2 O basally
as they are not used by the crop
and only encourage weed
growth. They are also lost
through leaching and runoff in
high rainfall areas.
9. Remove the weeds before
topdressing of fertilisers.
10. Topdress and incorporate 50% N
and 50% K 15 to 20 days after
emergence using a wheel hoe or a
dryland weeder. Topdress the rest
of the N and K at the panicle
initiation stage.