Application of CERES-Rice Model to Identify Optimum Sowing Window for Different Rice Varieties under Aerobic Culture

Abstract

Planting window concept is a useful approach in identifying suitable planting time and appropriate varieties to ensure crop success under aerobic irrigated rice conditions. CERES-Rice model was validated with experimental data collected during kharif 2012 and 2013 to ensure its fitness in the region in order to simulate the growth and development of rice varieties under aerobic environment of Telangana State and to determine the impact of various sowing windows and different duration group rice varieties on grain yield. The simulation scenarios showed that under irrigated aerobic conditions, 17thJune sown crop predicted the highest average grain yield of 5689 kg ha-1 and it was on par up to 29thJune sown crop. The median yield decreased consistently with each delay in time of sowing. Among the varieties the extra short durationcv JGL 17004 and short duration cvMTU 1010 have wider sowing window with highest grain yield at8thJuly and 1st Julysowings respectively.Whereasthe medium duration cv JGL 11470 and long duration cvMTU 1061 have narrow sowing window from 10thJune to 1stJuly with highest grain yield when sown on 10thJune. Based on seasonal analysis, it was identified the optimum sowing window for extra short and short duration cultivars was wider from 10thJune to 26thAugust where as for medium and long duration cultivars was narrow from 10thJune to 1stJuly to obtain optimum grain yields under aerobic environment.