Expert Advisory Details

Experts' advice for sowing of paddy crop

May is the month for sowing paddy nursery. Grow recommended varieties i.e. PR 129, PR 128, PR 127, PR 126, PR 127, PR 124, PR 123, PR 122, PR 121, PR 114, PR 113 etc. Complete the sowing of paddy nursery during the second fortnight of this month. Apply 12-15 tonnes of well-rotten farmyard manure per acre. Plough the field twice after about a week to kill germinated weeds. Flood the field and puddle it well. Apply 26 kg urea, 60 kg single superphosphate and 40 kg zinc sulphate (heptahydrate) or 25 kg zinc sulphate (monohydrate) per acre at puddling. Prepare plots of convenient size. Treat the seed with sprint 75 WS by making slurry of 3g fungicide formulation in 10-12 ml of water for 1kg seed before sowing to prevent primary seed borne infection. For the management of root-knot nematode in nursery, apply mustard cake @ 40g/sq.m. 10 days before sowing nursery with last predatory tillage operation after rauni. Sow the seed @ 1kg/20 sq.m. Keep the soil moist by irrigating the plot frequently. Apply another dose of 26 kg urea per acre about a fortnight after sowing. Weeds in paddy nursery can effectively be controlled by applying 1200 ml per acre of any recommended brand formulations of Butachlor 50 EC or Thiobencarb 50 EC. The herbicide should be applied 7 days after sowing of the pre-germinated seed of paddy. Similarly weeds can also be controlled by applying Nominee Gold 10 SC @100 ml/acre as spray in 150 litres of water at 15-20 days after sowing of nursery. During the initial stages of growth, light irrigation should be given but after about 10 days, irrigation should be given regularly to avoid iron deficiency particularly in case of coarse textured soil. If the seedlings in the nursery show yellowing of younger leaves, spray 0.5-1 % ferrous sulphate solution (0.5-1 kg ferrous sulphate in 100 litres of water) thrice at weekly intervals. If the leaves turn rusty brown after becoming yellow, give a spray of 0.5 % zinc sulphate (heptahydrate) or 0.3% zinc sulphate (monohydrate) solution.