Growth and yield performance of direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) hybrids under integrated nutrient management

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) offers a water-efficient and labour-saving alternative to traditional transplanted rice, reducing methane emissions and supporting sustainable agriculture. However, the response of rice hybrids to DSR under integrated nutrient management remains unclear, necessitating research to optimize nutrient combinations for improved growth and yield. Therefore a field experiment was conducted during the kharif season 2021 and 2022 at the research farm of Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India. The experiment was set up using a two-factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice. The experiment material consisted of two rice hybrids (Arize 6444 gold and Sava 134) and five treatment combinations of urea and vermicompost i.e., The experiment included five nutrient management practices: no fertilizer or manure, full recommended nitrogen dose (RDN) from urea, and different combinations of urea and vermicompost (75:25, 50:50, and 25:75 RDN ratios). The results revealed that hybrid Arize 6444 gold registered significantly better plant height, number of tillers/m², dry matter accumulation, panicle/m², leaf area index (LAI), grains/panicle, panicle length, test weight, grain and straw yield as compared to Sava 134. Likewise, for these traits treatment combination T4 [50% RDN (Urea) + 50% RDN (Vermicompost)] exhibited significantly better than the other treatments. The hybrid Arize 6444 Gold gave higher gross return, net return and B:C ratio than Sava 134. The T4 also registered significantly higher gross return over all treatments. But the highest net return and cost benefit ratio was registered with treatment T2 [100% RDN (Urea)]. The significant superiority of the treatment may be attributed to favourable effects of urea for quick growth and sustained release of nitrogen and other nutrients. It is concluded that integrated nutrient management practices in direct-seeded rice are superior to chemical fertilizers or organic manure application alone.