Effect of different doses and method of application of nitrogen fertilizers on growth, yield and economics of wet direct seeded rice

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2023 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, to study the effect of different doses and method of application of nitrogen fertilizers on the growth , yield and profitability of wet direct seeded rice. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Seven treatments were included viz., T1: Neem Coated Urea (NCU) 75% basal + 12.5% NCU each at active tillering (AT) and Panicle Initiation (PI); T2: NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 manually at AT and PI; T3:NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 by drone at AT and PI; T4: NCU 75% basal + 2 % NCU manual spray at AT and PI; T5: Silicon Coated Urea (SCU) 75% basal + 12.5% each at AT and PI; T6: Cedarwood oil Coated Urea (CCU) 75% basal + 12.5% each at AT and PI and T7: Control (N- P2O5- K2O: 0-60-40 kg ha-1). The results revealed that the application of NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 by drone at AT and PI found to be more productive in terms of plant height (104.1 cm), number of tillers m-2 (411), number of productive tillers m-2 (376), dry matter production (11122 kg ha-1), leaf area (1247.4), panicle weight (5.2 g) and number of filled grains panicle-1 (159) resulting in higher grain yield (6467 kg ha-1) and straw yield (7067 kg ha-1). Economics of various treatments indicated that NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l-1 by drone at AT and PI stages resulted in maximum B:C ratio (1.75).