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An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during July to December 2016 to find out the effect of age of seedlings and level of nitrogen on the growth and yield of transplant Aman rice cv. Binadhan-16. The experiment comprised four ages of seedlings viz. 15, 20, 25 and 30-day old and four levels of nitrogen viz. 0, 50, 70 and 90 kg N ha-1. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The results revealed that the effect of age of seedlings and level of nitrogen and their interaction was significant on yield and yield contributing characters of transplant Aman rice. The highest plant height and total dry matter production hill-1 were recorded in the treatment of 15-day old seedlings with 70 kg N ha-1. Grain yield gradually increased with the use of relatively younger seedlings and with 15-day old seedlings produced the highest values of effective tillers hill-1 (8.583), grains panicle-1 (122.7), grain yield (4.265 t ha-1) and straw yield (5.392 t ha-1). In case of level of nitrogen, 70 kg N ha-1 produced the highest grains panicle-1 (114.1), grain yield (4.539 t ha-1) and straw yield (5.623 t ha-1). In interaction, 15-day old seedlings with 70 kg N ha-1 produced the highest effective tillers hill-1 (9.71), grain yield (5.17 t ha-1) and straw yield (6.20 t ha-1). Therefore, 15-day old seedlings with 70 kg N ha-1 appeared as the promising technique to obtain the highest grain yield [Fundam Appl Agric 2019; 4(2.000): 785-791]

The management practices for rice cultivation in salt-affected soils are obviously different than those in normal soils and for a short duration variety than those of a medium to long duration variety. Hence, experiment was planned and conducted at Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (CSSRI), Regional Research Station, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India during 2011-12 to 2013-14 (kharif) hypothesizing that the combination of improved nursery management practices and high yielding salt tolerant variety would enhance productivity and profitability of rice in sodic soils. The results revealed that, improved nursery management practices like lower seed density, combined application of organic amendments and inorganic fertilizers in the seed bed (5 t/ha farmyard manures (FYM) followed by 100- 50-50 kg N-P2O5-K2O) and optimum age of seedlings enhanced seedling growth (shoot and root length, number of leaves, leaf area and dry matter) resulting higher grain yield and minimized production cost. Thirty-d-old seedling of salt tolerant variety CSR 36 raised using improved nursery management practices yielded 8.4% and 4.0% higher over 25 and 40d-old seedlings respectively. Salt-tolerant variety CSR 36 grown with improved nursery management options and followed by recommended dose of fertilizers (150-60-40-25 kg N-P2O5-K2O-ZnSO4/ha) in main field, could produce significantly higher grain yield than the yield level achieved using prevailing nursery management practices. This approach of combining cost effective nursery management and crop establishment options for salttolerant varieties can maximize the productivity and profitability of sodic lands in Indo-Gangetic alluvial plains.

A field experiment was conducted on plot No. 30 of 'C' block during Kharif season of 2016 and 2017 to evaluate the "Effect of age of seedling, levels and methods of fertilizer application on growth, yield and quality of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)" at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Dapoli, Dist. Ratnagiri (M.S.). The soil of experimental plot was clay loam in texture, high in organic carbon content, moderately acidic in reaction with pH 6.14 and 6.08 during the years 2016 and 2017, respectively. It was medium in available nitrogen (340.42 and 321.60 kg ha-1), low in available phosphorus (11.08 and 10.58 kg ha-1), fairly high in available potassium (276.21 and 256.20 kg ha-1) and deficient in micronutrients (Zn, B and Cu) during both the years. The field experiment was laid out in split-split plot design comprising of 36 treatment combinations replicated thrice. The main plot treatment consisted age of seedlings viz., 20 days age seedling (A1), 30 days age seedling (A2) and 40 days age seedling (A3). The sub plot treatment consisted three levels of fertilizer i.e., 125% RDF (F1), 100% RDF (F2) and 75% RDF (F3). While, sub-sub plot treatment comprised with four methods of fertilizer application, Basal K (K1), Split K (K2), K1+ Zn, B and Cu spray (K3) and K2 + Zn, B and Cu spray (K4). Available status of nutrients (kg ha-1) also done. Economics of the treatment combinations was also worked out. The 20 days age seedling (A1) also obtained higher gross income ('1, 26, 379 ha-1, '1, 20, 350 ha-1 and '1, 23, 364 ha-1), net returns (' 34, 571 ha-1, '29, 75 ha-1 and '32, 073 ha-1) and benefit to cost ratio (1.38, 1.32 and 1.35) than 30 and 40 days age seedling during 2016, 2017 and pooled mean. Among different levels of fertilizer application 125% RDF recorded maximum gross returns ('1, 20, 303 ha-1, '1, 12, 412 ha-1 and '1, 16, 357 ha-1) and net returns ('27, 353 ha-1, '20, 219 ha-1 and '23, 786 ha-1) during the year 2016, 2017 and in pooled mean. The application of 125% RDF and 100% RDF recorded same and higher B:C ratio (1.26) than 75% RDF (1.20) in mean of 2016 and 2017. In respect of economics of treatment combinations, the maximum gross returns and net returns was obtained in treatment combination of A1 F1 K4 i.e., transplanting of 20 days age seedling received 125% RDF and split application of K along with micronutrients spray (Zn, B and Cu) followed by treatment combination A1 F1 K3 i.e., 20 days age seedling and 125% RDF with basal application of K along with micronutrients spray (Zn, B and Cu) than rest of the treatment combinations in 2016, 2017 and pooled mean. While, treatment combination of A1 F2 K3 and A1 F2 K2 recorded same and highest B:C ratio than rest of treatments in the year 2016 and treatment combination of A1 F1 K4 and A1 F1 K3 gained same and highest B:C ratio in year 2017 and mean of year 2016-2017 than all remaining treatment combinations under study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted at ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region Farm, Patna during winter (rabi) season of 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 to study the performance of maize (Zea mays L.) crop under transplanted condition as affected by different age of seedlings and methods of nursery raising. Transplantation of five weeks old seedlings and nursery raised on sand culture as well as on raised bed recorded more plant height, leaf length, dry matter accumulation/plant and yield attributes over other methods of raising seedlings and varying age group. After transplantation mortality of seedlings in the main field was minimum reported with 5 week old seedlings (5.8%) as well as seedlings raised under sand culture and raised bed method (5.2% and 5.8%, respectively) during the years of experimentation. Transplanting of five weeks old seedlings raised either in sand culture or on raised beds produced significantly higher grain yield (6.71 and 6.36 tonnes/ha, respectively) over other treatments. Root volume and leaf area index (LAI) at 90 days after transplanting (DAT) were also higher in seedlings raised under sand culture (1.03and 72.2 cm3) and raised bed conditions (0.99 and 69.8 cm3) in nurseries. However, 5 week old seedlings grown either on sand culture or on raised bed resulted higher net income (Rupees 23 074 and 22 334/ha respectively). It was also observed that transplanted crop matured 10-12 days earlier than direct seeded maize.