EFFECT OF NITROGEN LEVELS ON GROWTH ATTRIBUTES, YIELD AND NUTRIENT UPTAKE OF DIFFERENT RICE (Oryza sativa L.) VARIETIES UNDER THE TRANSPLANTED CONDITION

Abstract

Rice is very responsive to nitrogen fertilization under transplanted conditions; however N use efficiency and uptake by different varieties may vary. A field study was conducted during the rainy season of 2017 to assess the effect of four nitrogen levels in three rice varieties under the transplanted condition at Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. The experiment was carried out in a split-plot design (SPD) with three replications. The total number of treatments was twelve involving three rice varieties (V1- BPT-5204, V2- Rajendra Kasturi and V3- HUBR 2-1) in main plots and four nitrogen levels (N1- 100, N2- 120, N3- 140, and N4- 160 kg ha^-1) in sub-plots. Rice variety BPT- 5204  recorded significantly higher growth parameters viz. leaf number hill^-1(37.17), SPAD value (chlorophyll content 31.83), the higher number of days taken to 50 percent flowering (103 days), maturity (130.17 days), grain yield (50.73 q ha^-1), biological yield (112.90 q ha^-1) and harvest index (0.45) as well as NPK uptakes by grain (60.96, 13.01 & 10.95 kg ha^-1) and straw (29.72, 7.15 & 101.55 kg ha^-1) as compared to other varieties. However, straw yield (62.17 q ha^-1) was reported higher under HUBR 2-1 as compared to the rest varieties. Among the nitrogen levels, N4-160 kg N ha^-1 was recorded significantly higher above the same parameter as compared to other nitrogen levels. Hence, the application of N @ 160 kg ha^-1 along with rice variety BPT- 5204 can be recommended for achieving higher rice yield, nutrient uptake, and efficiency in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.