CULTIVATION

Preparation of the nursery bed

Around 800 m2 nursery area is required for raising seedlings needed for one hectare of land. After ploughing the nursery bed (four times), spread neem leaves on the soil. The leaves should be allowed to decay in water for 6–7 days. When the leaves decay completely, the land should be ploughed again four times and levelled. In case neem leaves are not available, 8–10 kg of neem cake and 10–15 kg of vermicompost should be added to the soil during the last ploughing. Later, the soil should be leveled and the seeds sown. Farm waste and trash can be burnt on nursery beds. The heat generated by burning sterilizes the soil and nutrients like potash also get added. Leaves of Adhatoda vasica can be incorporated into the soil while preparing the nursery. This increases soil fertility; acts as an insecticide and renders the uprooting of the seedlings easier.

Note: One may encounter many weeds if farmyard manure is added to the nursery. Hence, it is advisable to avoid it.

Managing problem insects and disease in the nursery

Pests such as the green leaf hopper, green horned caterpillar and diseases such as brown leaf spot and blast generally attack seedlings in a nursery. Hence, the crop is damaged at its very early stages. These attacks can be prevented by spraying two doses of 10% cow's urine extract at seven days' interval at the appearance of the first symptom. This should be immediately followed by pest management techniques. Before plucking the seedlings, the nursery should be irrigated and 15–20 kg of gypsum should be added to prevent damage to the rootlets.

Application of biofertilisers

Azospirillum (@ 2.5 kg/ha) is mixed with 25 kg of farmyard manure and applied in the nursery 30 minutes before plucking. The seedlings are kept submerged in the nursery for 30 minutes and then transplanted.

Main field preparation

The main field should be irrigated and ploughed several times. The bunds should be trimmed and plastered to prevent water leakage. Rat holes found in the field should be sealed. Groundnut or neem cake (@15 quintals/ha) should be applied as basal manure during the final ploughing and the land should be levelled before sowing. At the time of the final ploughing, dried cow-dung and ash mixture can be spread uniformly across the field. This facilitates aeration and activates the microbes in the soil.

Seedling treatment

The paddy seedlings can be treated with ash and neem seed mixture before transplanting. For this, the seedling bundles are kept in small plots of standing water mixed with ash and pulverized neem seeds from 30 minutes to an hour. One kilo of ash and 500 gm of neem seed are sufficient for treating 50 bundles of seedlings.
The treated seedlings produce a crop free from pests and disease. Soak groundnut cake and neem cake in water overnight and filter. Treat the seedlings in this solution before transplantation. The treated seedlings are less vulnerable to pest attack. The paddy seedlings can also be dipped in a solution of amrut pani/ panchagavya/jeevamrut.

Transplantation

The paddy seedlings are transplanted @ 2–3 saplings per hill at a depth of 3 cm. The spacing between the seedlings will vary according to the variety cultivated. Before transplanting, clip off the tips of the seedlings. This facilitates uniform growth and helps to remove egg masses and insect pests present on the leaf-tips.

Note: With old seedlings, varieties with low tillering capacity and soil with very high pH, lesser spacing should be given while transplanting and larger number of seedlings should be used (5–7 seedlings per hill).

Spacing

Weeds

Weeds compete with rice and take away a heavy toll of energy, water and plant nutrients. Generally, they are found more in upland rice than in low land or irrigated rice. Weeding should be done manually and the picked weeds should be trampled into the field for in situ conservation of nutrients and for organic matter as mulch. The first weeding should be done at about 15–20 days after transplantation. About 50 kg neem cake should be applied to the field. Subsequent weedings should be done as and when weeds appear and become problematic. Weeds can be kept under check by flooding the field to a height of 5–8 cm during the early vegetative stages. The most commonly found weeds in transplanted rice are Echinochloa colonum, Echinochloa crusgalli, Cyperus iria, Eclipta alba, Celosia argentia, Dactyloctameum, Setaria glauca, Monocharia spp., Cyperus difformis, Scirpus spp., Fimbristylis litoralis, Marsilea quadrifolia, etc.

Use of calotropis (Calotropis gigantea) as green manure checks the growth of the weed Marsilea quadrifolia. The fibrous pericarp of coconut applied @ 25 baskets/ha also controls this weed to some extent. It releases a tannin-like substance that inhibits the growth of the weed.

While preparing the land, apply leaves and small twigs of Strychnos nux-vomica (poison nut) and incorporate them into the soil. This helps to suppress the weeds.

Updated on : Dec 2014