Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Growth, Yield Attributes, Productivity and Profitability of Direct Seeded Rice under Rainfed Conditions

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth, yield attributes, productivity and profitability of direct seed rice under Rainfed conditions during Kharif in 2019-20 at kuthulia farm, JNKVV, Rewa (M.P.). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with nine treatments and three replications.  The results indicated that the treatment 50% RDN through fertilizer + 50% RDN through compost + seed treated with Azotobacter @ 10 g kg-1 seed recorded significantly higher growth, yield attributes and productivity viz. plant height (74.90 cm), number of tillers m-2 (387.00), number of productive tillers m-2 (340.66), panicle length (23.57 cm) and weight (3.76 g), total grain per panicle-1 (82.33), 1000-grain weight (26.69 g), grain yield (3799 kg ha-1), straw yield (6438 kg ha-1) and harvest index (37.11%). The profitability viz. Gross returns (78608 Rs. ha-1), Net returns (65650 Rs. ha-1) and B:C (2.38) of rice was also higher in 50% RDN through fertilizer + 50% RDN through compost + seed treated with Azotobacter @ 10 g kg-1 seed. The study concluded that combined use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients with biofertilizer enhanced crop growth, yield attributes, productivity and profitability of direct seeded rice.