Lodging management in upland rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Field experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture Vellanikkara during Kharif 2020 to standardize the agronomicpractices for crop lodging management in upland rice. Upland variety Vaisakh was used for the study. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (factorial) replicated thrice. The treatment consisted of two levels of growth regulator application viz.,50 ppm paclobutrazol and no growth regulator, three levels of planting method viz., dibbling at 15 cm × 10cm, 20 cm × 15 cm and broadcasting and three levels of nutrient application viz.,100 % N: P2O5: K2O of soil-test basedrecommendation,75% N, 100% P2O5 125% K2O of soil test-based recommendation along with 20 kgha-1 Si and 50% N,100% P2O5 150% K2Oof soil test-based recommendation along with 20 kgha-1 Si. Results of the study revealed that combination of increased K and Si fertilization under reduced N conditions and dibbling at wider spacing could help rice plants to withstand lodging. Dibbling at 20 cm×15 cm spacing along with the application of 75% N, 100% P2O5 125% K2Oof soil test-based recommendation and 20 kgha-1 Si resulted in reduced lodging and increased yield and net return of upland rice variety Vaishak