Abstract

With decreasing water availability for agriculture and increasing demand for rice, water use in rice production systems has to be reduced and water productivity increased. In this paper we compared the effects of two varieties on crop performance and water use under different methods of crop establishment, in the field experiments at students’ farm, Khalsa College, Amritsar during kharif season of 2016 and 2017. The field was laid out in split plot design with four replications with two cultivars i.e., PR 126 and PR 121 in main plot treatments and six methods of sowing/transplanting i.e., W-DSR (Wet-Direct Seeded Rice) on flat beds, D-DSR (Dry-Direct seeded Rice) on flat beds, PTR (puddle transplanted rice), RSR (Ridge Sown Rice), RTR (Ridge Transplanted Rice), W-DSR (Wet- Direct Seeded Rice) on ridges, D-DSR (Dry- Direct Seeded Rice) on ridges and RTR (Ridge Transplanted Rice) were kept in sub plot treatments. The experiments were conducted in irrigated lowlands where soil texture was sandy loam. The results revealed that grain yields of rice were 72.63 q/ha and 73.54 q/ha under W-DSR on flat beds, 70.07 q/ha and 71.50 q/ha under D-DSR on flat beds, 69.24 q/ha and 73.84 q/ha under PTR, 70.48 q/ha and 73.76 q/ha under W-DSR on ridges, 74.51 q/ha and 71.64 q/ha under D-DSR on ridges and 69.21 q/ha and 73.13 q/ha under RTR in both years. Yield did not significantly differ between DSR and other crop establishment technologies in both years, but water use efficiency was higher under W-DSR on flat beds as well as on ridges than under PTR and RTR in both years. Flat sowing of rice under W-DSR was economical than other treatments. Accordingly, conventional practice of rice planting is no longer able to sustain the productivity of rice cropping systems.