Abstract
Growing two or more cultivars of same crop species in mixture reduces intra-specific competition for natural resources and increases competitive ability of crops against weeds and thus enhances crop yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potentiality of growing rice cultivars in mixtures for minimizing weed pressure and increasing rice yield. The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during Aman season (July-December) 2017. Two transplant Aman rice cultivars viz. Binadhan-13 (tall, late- maturing and fine grain aromatic cultivar) and BRRI dhan49 (semi-dwarf, mid-maturing and coarse grain cultivar) were grown following two spatial arrangements viz., alternate row and alternate hill, and nine different cultivar mixture (Binadhan-13:BRRI dhan49) row ratios viz., 1:0, 1:2, 2:1, 2:3, 3:2, 2:4, 4:2,1:1 and 0:1. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results confirmed the positive influence of spatial arrangement and cultivar mixture ratio on rice productivity. Both the cultivars showed better growth and higher yield when grown in mixture irrespective of ratios compared to their sole culture performances. But cultivar mixture ratio showed no advantages over sole culture in suppressing weeds. Based on the total yield Binadhan-13 and BRRI dhan49 inter-planted in 1:1 row ratio following alternate hill performed the best resulting in 50% and 12% yield advantages over sole culture of Binadhan-13 and BRRI dhan49, respectively. Therefore, growing tall and dwarf rice cultivars in mixture can be adopted as a tool for increasing rice productivity.
 J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 17(2): 133–141, June 2019
Highlights
Cultivar mixture refers to growing more than one cultivars simultaneously on the same piece of land with no attempt to breed (Mundt, 2002)
Binadhan-13 exhibited the maximum tillering potentiality when grown with BRRI dhan49 in 1:1 ratio planted in alternate hill at harvest and showed the lowest tillering ability when grown as sole crop
Binadhan-13 and BRRI dhan49 inter-planted in 1:1 ratio appeared as the best mixture ratio which resulted in 50% and 12% yield advantages over sole culture of Binadhan-13 and BRRI dhan49, respectively
Summary
Cultivar mixture refers to growing more than one cultivars simultaneously on the same piece of land with no attempt to breed (Mundt, 2002). Modifications in temporal and spatial deployment of crops grown in association can enhance the compatibility of mixtures and make the system more efficient. Several reports on this strategy have confirmed that it helps in controlling pest, disease, lodging and weed. The cultivar mixture strategy is practical, and can be practiced by resource poor farmers who only need to mix existing cultivars with variable agronomic traits and performance. It provides scope for onfarm conservation of genetic resources by allowing farmers to grow widely adopted local cultivars. The use of cultivar mixtures be a potent supplement to weed management practices and could reduce production costs and
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