CROP PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY – I (Kharif crops)

CREDIT: 2(1+1)
Weightage: 35%
 Rice.
S.N:- Oryza sativa. Chromosome no:- 24
Family:- Poaceae.(Formerly called Gramineae.) Subspecies:- indica, japonica, javanica

 Origin:-
I. South East Africa.
 Geographical Distribution:-
I. Rice is world‘s second leading food crop after wheat, cultivated over an area of 162 million hectares.
II. More than 90% area under Rice is in Asia
III. India has largest area (43.66 million hectares) followed by China, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam.
IV. U.P, W.B, Odisha, Chhattisgarh & Punjab are prominent rice producing states.
V. Average productivity of rice is highest in Punjab (3998 kg/ha).
 Economic Importance:-
I. India ranks 1st in area in world.
II. India ranks 2nd in production in the world next to China
III. India ranks 14th in productivity in the world.
IV. Rice is grown in all state and U.Ts in India.
V. 563 rice growing district in India
 Soil & Climate Requirements :-
I. Indian rice is grown on diverse soil conditions that it can be said that there is hardly any type
of soil in which it can’t be grown, including alkaline and acidic soils
II. Soils having good water retention capacity with good amount of clay & organic matter are
ideal for rice cultivation
III. Clay or clay loam soils are most suitable for rice cultivation as such soils are capable of holding
water for long and sustain crop.
IV. Rice being semi aquatic crop, grows best under submerged conditions.
V. Grows well in soil having pH of range between 5.5 & 6.5
VI. Rice Cultivation in India extends from 8 to 35°N latitude and from sea level to as high as 3000
m.
VII. It needs hot and humid climate.
VIII. Average temperate required 21 to 37°C
IX. Tillering requires higher temperature than growth.
X. Kharif rice best sowing time is May – June.

 Varieties :-
PARAG- 401, Parbhani Avishkar, Phule Radha, Phule Samrudhi, HPR 2880, MRP 5626.
 Cultivation & Cropping System :-
I. India rice grown mainly two types of soils.(uplands and lowlands)
II. System of rice cultivation in region largely depends on factors such as situation of land, soil type, irrigation resources etc.
III. Following are systems of rice cultivation:-
A. Dry/Semi-dry upland cultivation:-
a. Short duration varieties of 100-105 days selected.
b. Field Preparation:- Ploughing, helpful for weed eradication as well improvement
in the water holding capacity of soil. Preparing field bund should
be prepared and bunds should be made around the field just
after first shower of monsoon. This will check loss of rainwater
by runoff.
c. Seed treatment:- @10 kg seed 5g emisan, 1g streptocycline or 2.5 g agromycine 100
or pausamycine in 10L of water for 24hrs.
d. Broadcasting the seed. (100kg/ha seeds required)
e. Sowing the seed behind the plough or drilling.(60kg/ha seed required)
f. Fertilizer application:- 60:30:30 N:P:K /ha required for good crop of upland rice
25% N 100% P&K applied while land preparation in soil
50% N should top dressed at tillering stage
25% N should be top dressed at panicle initiation stage
 g.Weeding and hoeing:- 1 manual weeding 40-45 days after sowing.
Effective weed control Benthiocarb(Saturn) @2kg active ingredient/ha.

h.Direct Seeded Rice(DSR) for Irrigated Plains :- Popular/conventional paddy cultivation through
transplanting which involves nursery raising of
seedlings, puddling of field with stagnated water
transplanting of seedlings in main field.
(DSR) has bee developed as an alternative to
conventional method of transplanting.
Fig1.1. Comparison of PTR vs DSR
B. Wet or Low land cultivation :-
a. Transplanting in puddled soils.
b. Broadcasting sprouted seeds in puddled soils.
Raising seedlings in Nursery:-
• To raise seedlings for one hectare of land, select a fertile and well-drained upland field close to an irrigation
source.
• Approximately 500 square meters of nursery space is sufficient for transplanting, but for late sowing, it should
be increased to 750-1000 square meters.
• Use certified seeds that are true to the variety, healthy, viable, clean, and have a high germination percentage of
80% or more.
• For bold grain varieties, about 40 to 45 kilograms of seed is required, while for fine grain varieties, 30 to 35
kilograms is enough to raise enough seedlings for one hectare.
• The seed preparation process involves soaking and incubating the seeds.
• Initially, the seeds are placed in a container and water is poured until it reaches about 10 cm above the seeds.
• Stirring the seeds for a minute allows unfilled seeds to float, which are then removed by draining the water.
• This process is repeated until all unfilled seeds are eliminated.
• Subsequently, the seeds are soaked in freshwater at room temperature (27°C or higher) for 24 hours.
• After thorough washing, the seeds are placed in a clean, moist bag, tightly folded, and kept in a shady location.
• Regular stirring every 12 hours ensures proper air circulation, and water is sprinkled over the seeds during
stirring
• The incubation period varies depending on the method used: 24 to 36 hours for wet and dry bed methods, and
36 to 48 hours for the 'Dapog' method of seedling raising.
• There are three major methods , i.e wet bed, dry bed, and dapog.
1. Wet Bed Method:-
• In irrigated conditions, wet nurseries are preferred.
• The soil is puddled by two to three runs of a puddler or three to four ploughings with a local plough.
• After one or two days of puddling, the nursery area is divided into narrow beds of 1.25 m width and of any convenient
length depending on the slope.
• This facilitates sowing, weeding, spraying of chemicals, and irrigation operations.
• Drainage channels 30 cm wide are constructed between the seed beds, and 225 g of urea and 500 g of single super
phosphate are applied per 10 square meters.
• Sow 2-3 handfuls of seeds per square meter of seedbed and keep the seedbeds saturated with water for the first five days,
gradually increasing the water level to 5 cm as the seedlings grow.
• Drain excess water during heavy rains in the first week of sowing, and implement appropriate disease and pest control
measures.
• Apply 50 g of urea per square meter as top dressing if nitrogen deficiency symptoms appear.
• For zinc-deficient soils, spray twice with zinc sulfate (5 kg zinc sulfate + 2.5 kg calcium hydroxide mixed in 1000 L of water
per hectare), once 10 days after sowing and again 20 days after sowing.
• In case of iron deficiency, spray with a 0.5% ferrous sulfate solution. transplanting after 20-25 days
2. Dry Bed Method:-
• In regions with limited water resources for seedling growth in wet nurseries, a specific method is employed.
• This method involves ploughing the field multiple times to achieve thorough soil pulverization.
• Subsequently, raised beds of the same size as those used in wet nurseries are prepared, but with a height of 15 cm
and channels of 30 cm width between them.
• Seeds are sown in rows spaced 10 cm apart, either in dry or moist soil conditions.
• The seed rate and fertilizer application remain consistent with those used in wet nurseries.• Finally, the sown seeds
are covered to ensure proper germination and growth.
• To ensure successful seed germination in wet nurseries, it is crucial to cover the seeds with a layer of soil and
manage water effectively.
• Water should be introduced gradually through channels, allowing the soil to become saturated without flooding the
beds.
• A thin film of water should be maintained, especially after five days of sowing, and all operations outlined for wet
nurseries should be followed diligently.
3.Dapog Method:-
• The Philippines introduced a nursery-raising method to India, which some farmers in Andhra Pradesh have
adopted for seedling cultivation.
• This technique significantly reduces seedling growth time and requires less space, with only 25 to 30 square
meters
needed to produce enough seedlings for planting one hectare of land.
• Seedlings raised using this method grow rapidly but are fragile and have a short lifespan of approximately
two weeks.
• They are characterized by their thin, slender structure and short height.
• If left in the seedbed beyond this period, they risk drying out and perishing.
• To prepare seedbeds, choose an even, slightly raised surface in an open field or on a cement floor.
• Allocate approximately 1 square meter of seedbed for every 3 kilograms of seeds.
• The width should be around 1.5 meters for easy management.
• Cover the seedbed's soil surface completely with banana leaves, ensuring the protruding midribs are removed,
or use plastic sheets instead.
• Along the edges of the seedbed, carefully place strips of banana bracts and secure them upright with thin
bamboo pegs pushed through the bracts into the soil.
• Pre-germinated seeds are uniformly spread over plastic or banana leaves at a density of 3 kg per square meter,
forming a three-seed-thick layer.
• Water is gently sprinkled three to four times daily for the first four days to maintain a moist seedbed, followed by
continuous coverage with 1 to 2 cm of water.
• Light daily pressing of the seeds and protection from birds are crucial during this period.
• Dapog seedlings are ready for transplanting within 11 to 14 days of sowing and can be conveniently transported by
rolling them like a carpet with roots facing outward.
• Before transplanting, the interlocked roots are carefully loosened, and three to four seedlings are planted per hill instead
of the usual two.
. Cropping system are as follows :-
A. Irrigated Areas
1.Rice - Wheat
2. Rice – Potato – Urad (Black gram)
3. Rice- toria- Wheat
4. Rice- Wheat- Moong
B. Un-irrigated area
1.Rice-Chickpea
2. Rice-Lentil
3.Rice-Field pea