While increasing productivity, equal importance must be given to conserving resources for sustainability and climate resilience. All phosphorus and potash and 50% of the nitrogen fertilizer should be thoroughly incorporated into the soil at the last puddle. At least 30% residue must remain on the surface to reap the benefits of zero tillage.
Planting time should be adjusted to avoid low temperature during flowering, especially at higher altitudes (above 1300 m). Transplanting should be done as soon as possible after removing the seedlings to avoid transplant shock. Therefore, integrated nutrient management (INM) should be followed instead of single application of inorganic fertilizers or organic manure.
The crop and weed residues must be chopped with the first plow and mixed with the soil.
Bioorganics for rice production
During drought, urea or DAP 2.20 g/litre water) can be sprayed at an interval of 15 days for better growth and yield of both upland and lowland rice. . etc. and forest waste) if available, can be applied at the rate of 5 tons/ha, together with the recommended NPK. In case of local varieties (e.g. Mendri, Manipuri etc.) the dose of nitrogen fertilizer should be reduced to 50 kg/ha i.e. 87 kg urea to avoid excessive vegetative growth. Application of alder leaves (Alnus nepalensis) or Eupatorium (a weed that is available in abundance) 5 t/ha + 50% NPK is equally effective.
Azolla should be incorporated into the soil before transplanting or taken as a double crop ie. inoculation of fresh Azolla @ 2 t/ha, 7-10 days after transplanting (DAT) in standing water (5 cm) with 20 kg phosphorus /ha. Application of Azotobacter or Azospirillum in soil @ 1 kg/ha is also recommended for nitrogen management and can supplement up to 30 kg N/ha ie. alternatively you can soak rice seedlings in biofertilizer solution for about 6 hours for better results.
A seed soak for 8 hours at 10% concentration (100 ml/liter of water) before sowing along with one foliar application at 2% concentration (20 ml/liter) 35 days after planting can be done.
Residue management
Weed management Transplanted rice
To control grinders (Cyperus spp.) and broadleaf weeds, apply 2, 4-DEE 4. Cono weeder or Japanese weeder) can be used for weeding by driving the weeder into the rows. Using cono weeder requires only about 4 to 5 workers/ha compared to about 20 workers/ha for hand weeding. Line transplanting with a distance of at least 20 cm between the rows is a prerequisite for using a mechanical weeder.
Alternatively, farmers can weed their paddy with a wooden plank and insert removable pins into the rafts. At least two weeds (25 and 45 DAT) are required for higher productivity in lowland rice. First weeding should be completed within 3rd week of crop age and 2nd weeding 40-45 days after sowing (DAS) to check weed growth.
Pre-emergence application of Butachlor 0.75 kg a.i./ha + 2.4-D 0.50 kg a.i./ha is a very good combination for controlling all types of weeds in upland rice.
Water management
It also aids in the simultaneous incorporation of weed biomass into the soil and improves soil aeration and root respiration. For SRI and ICM practices, weeding should be done at 15 day intervals up to maximum rotation stage. The water depth should not exceed 5 cm in the field, especially in the crop rotation phase.
Greater water depth during drilling reduces the number of wells/hills, resulting in a reduction in yield. After finishing the cultivation, the field must be drained and watered again for a week. Under no circumstances should there be water stress during the start of the panicle during the grain filling phase.
Growing crops in toposequence helps in better use of water on hill slopes and terraces. While rice is grown on terraces or slopes, it should be grown in the lower part of the hill slope where runoff is concentrated. On-site water harvesting in flat or terraced land can be done by providing a peripheral bund (15-20 cm height) to increase crop yield.
SRI and ICM practice
Such practices not only save water but also provide resilience to plants in case of drought-like situations. SRI and ICM rice mature about 15 and 7 days earlier, respectively, compared to conventional rice and leave the soil in time for second crop. Since the field is kept under saturated condition and not flooded, SRI and ICM practices release less methane than flooded rice.
Hold off on watering for a few days between rotations 25 to 30 days after transplanting to allow for more scion production. Drain the water one day before applying the fertilizer and remember to close the water channels after applying the fertilizer to prevent loss.
Aerobic rice
Ratooning of rice
The ratoon rice ripens much earlier than transplanted rice and avoids low temperatures during grain filling.
Plant protection measures
A higher dose of N fertilizer such as urea makes the rice plant susceptible to insect pests and diseases. Application of appropriate doses of potassium fertilizer such as MOP improves resistance to insect pests and diseases in rice.
Harvesting
Cropping systems/Farming systems
Rice farming + aquaculture or combining rice with compound farming of fish, livestock (duck, pigs, etc.) and horticultural crops (vegetables on beds, etc.) will reduce the risk of weather uncertainties for farmers and provide a guaranteed income. In the case of rice cultivation in uneven areas/slope hills, the topological sequence should be followed with the upper 1/3 of the slope part under natural rain-catching forest, the middle 1/3 under horticultural crops, plantations and the lower 1/3 Rice + fish farming . Rice should be grown on lower terraces for better water management and higher rice productivity.
Contingency plan for aberrant weather conditions
There is a need to develop a standard site-specific contingency crop plan to better cope with adverse weather conditions (Table 1). Under upland conditions, rice should be rotated with groundnut/soybean/rice once in every 2 years for building soil fertility and resilience. Agro advisory services with forecast for abnormal weather conditions like heavy rain, delay in rain, frost, cyclone etc.
Short-duration varieties in areas with rain are preferred. Timely onset and sudden ● Avoid sowing until sufficient rains are received, withdrawal of monsoon ● If sowing is delayed, plant short duration varieties. Practice thinning of crop stands, reduce plant population and use the biomass as mulch, intercultural operation to control weeds in case of upland rice. Monsoon break-up ● Follow water conservation (farm pond, raising bed elevation, etc.) and (dry period management (life-saving irrigation, mowing, thinning of plant population, 2% for 2 to 3 weeks urea supply, etc.) practices. continuously) ● Opportunity to take a catch crop (black gram in the upland).
Last week of ● Effective use of stored water for life-saving irrigation August (late season ● Harvesting of the crop at physiological maturity. . drought) ● Short-duration varieties of pulses, oilseeds, minor millets.
Yield
Methane (CH 4 ) emission and management
Rice cultivation in Jhum fields
Strip cropping (row planting in alternating strips of rice with pulses such as groundnuts, soybeans, black gram, red gram, rice beans, etc. 2 rows of pulses (groundnuts, soybeans, etc.) can be sown after every 4 to 6 rows of rice Urea- or DAP solution at 2% concentration can be sprayed in vegetative stage and in flowering stage for better growth and yield of rice.
During drought, potassium chloride (2%) can be sprayed at 15 day intervals to reduce the stress on the plant. Pre-emergence application of butachlor 0.75 kg a.i./ha + 2,4-D 0.5 kg a.i./ha is a good combination for controlling all types of weeds in upland/jhum rice. Use of resistant varieties, healthy seeds, ITKs (use of crab traps etc.) are the best options.
Rainwater harvesting (Jalkunds, farm ponds), composting, terracing, planting of hedgerow species (Tephrosia sp., Indigofera spp. etc.) along the contours. Cover the crops and/or crops that increase soil fertility such as rice beans, groundnuts, velvet beans (mucuna) etc. during every year.
Rice Cultivation in Flood Affected Areas
Kapilee reported that it gives fair yield when direct sown till September 10 after recession of flood water. Planting young seedlings of 10-15 days old of ephemeral varieties after a flood water recession is another option to get a good yield of rice as rice duration is reported to decrease by about 10-15 days when young seedlings be planted out. Maintaining a community nursery in elevated areas of the environment is another contingency measure in areas affected by floods.
Integrated management of nutrients, pest and disease management is important to achieve higher yields in flood-affected areas. Adequate drainage facilities should be provided wherever possible to provide rice with favorable conditions for growth and development.
Calculation of Fertilizer and Pesticides in Agriculture
Fertilizer dose calculation
Calculate commercial fertilizers required to fertilize the rice crop through straight fertilization using urea, single superphosphate (SSP) and murate of potassium chloride (MOP). Find out the amount of fertilizer required to fertilize the rice crop through diammonium phosphate (DAP), urea, murate of potash (MOP). To get the maximum benefit from the fertilizer used, crops should be watered at the critical growth stages.
If the amount of water needed to cover one hectare is 500 liters, prepare a 2% spray liquid by dissolving 10 kg of urea in 500 liters of water.
Pesticides dose calculation
Find the amount of Butachlor 50 EC to spray on one hectare of soybean area as a pre-emergence application if the application rate is 2 kg a. Find the amount of carbofuran 3G to apply per one hectare of area if the application rate is 0.35 kg a.i. To spray one hectare with a hydraulic nozzle sprayer in good condition and a 15-liter knapsack sprayer, we need 300 liters of solution, i.e.
To control all types of weeds in the uncut area, 1 liter of Round Up (Glyphosate) should be applied per hectare. Pesticides should only be used when the level of damage is above the Economic Threshold Level (ETL) values. The possibility of applying more than one chemical together should be explored by studying their compatibility to save labor and time.
