Integrated Nutrient Management in Rainfed Upland Rice in the Northeastern Region of India

Abstract

A field experiment on integrated nutrient management in rainfed upland rice was conducted during kharif season (July to October) of 2007 and 2008 in the farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tirap (27°26′N latitude, 95°27′E longitude and at 185 m a.s.l.), Arunachal Pradesh, India. The experimental soil is sandy loam in texture (55 % sand, 26 % silt and 17 % clay), acidic in reaction (pH 5.4), medium in available N (290 kg ha−1), but low in available P (7.7 kg ha−1) and K (125 kg ha−1). The results showed that integrated use of 75 % recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farm yard manure (FYM)/vermicompost (VC) and 25 % recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) produced taller plants, higher number of tillers m−2, higher leaf area index, dry matter accumulation and crop growth rate than those of other treatments. It recorded markedly greater number of panicles m−2 and grains panicle−1 that led to higher grain yield by 89.6 % over control and by 29.9–35.6 % over other treatments. The growth parameters showed strong and positive correlations with grain yield. Use of 75 % RDN through FYM/VC and 25 % RDF through chemical fertilizer seems to be conducive for improving growth and productivity of rainfed upland rice in the hill region of northeastern India.