RICE

Rice is the most important food crop of India covering about one-fourth of the total cropped area and providing food to about half of the Indian population. Punjab has made tremendous progress in rice productivity and production during the past 45 years. Due to use of high yielding varieties and new technology Punjab become "Rice Bowl of India".

It can be grown on a variety of soils with low permeability and pH varying from 5.0 to 9.5. Sandy loam to loamy sand to silty loam to clay loams, silty to clayey loam soils with low permeability, free of water logging and sodicity are considered best for paddy cultivation.

Ratna: This variety gives an average yield of 16-18qtl/acre. It has long and thin seed and is good in taste. The variety gets mature in 120-125 days. The variety is resistant to pest borer. It is a late sowing variety.

BK 79: It is a dwarf variety with long and thin grains having basmati properties. It gives an average yield of 18-20 qtl/acre. The variety gets mature in 120-135 days and the variety is resistant to pest and diseases.

Jaya: It gives an average yield of 22-23 qtl/acre. It has thick and heavy grains. The variety gets mature in approximately 135-140 days. The variety is suitable to grow in alkaline land. Transplanting of seedlings must be done till 15thJuly.

Kasturi (IET 8580): It has thin and long grain which is glossy and aromatic. It is medium sized variety which gets mature in 130-135 days. It gives an average yield of 16-18 qtl/acre.

Basmati 370: It is aromatic rice having grain length of 6-7mm and width of 1.7mm. The variety gets mature in 140-145 days and gives an average yield of 10-12 qtl/acre.

Khushboo: It is an early maturing variety which get matures in 118-125 days. It is a medium length variety. It gives an average yield of 16-18 qtl/acre. The grain is approximately 7-7.5m long which is white in color and is aromatic. It is resistant to pests and diseases.

Taraori Basmati: Long height variety which gets mature in 118-125 days. It gives an average yield of 11-12 qtl/acre. The grain is 7-7.4mm long and is white in color and is aromatic. After boiling the rice grows taller than its usual size and does not get cracked or sticked. It requires 25 qtl/acre of Nitrogen for their growth.

MahiSugandha: Basmati variety. It gives an average yield of 14-16 qtl/acre. The variety gets mature in 130-135 days.

PHB 71: It is a semi dwarf variety of hybrid variety. It has an average 100-110cm plant height. The variety gets mature in 130-135 days and it gives an average yield of 22-24 qtl/acre.

Improved Pusa Basmati 1 (P 1460): It is a semi dwarf variety of basmati. It gets mature in 130-138 days and gives an average yield of 16-18 qtl/acre. The variety is moderate resistant to blast, stem borer and pests.

Pusa Sugandha 4 (P 1121): It is the medium size variety of basmati rice. The variety gets mature in 130-135 days. The variety is moderately resistant to blast, stem borer and bacterial infestations.

Pusa Sugandha 5 (P 2511): It is medium size variety having 110-115cm of plant height. It gives an average yield of 18-20qtl/acre. This variety has long, aromatic and has deliciously taste grains. The variety gets mature in 130-135 days. The variety is moderately resistant to disease and pests.
 
Pratap Sugandha 1 (RSK 1091-10-1-1): It is a medium sized variety (i.e. 150-120cm) which gets mature in 135-140 days. It gives an average yield of 18-20 qtl/acre. It has long and thin grains. The variety is moderately resistant to blast, bacterial infestations and stem borer.

Pusa Basmati 1509: It is a medium size variety (i.e. 100-150cm plant height) which gets mature in 120-125 days and gives an average yield of 18-20 qtl/acre. The variety is moderately resistant to bacterial infestation and blast and is moderately tolerant to pests.

PR 106: It has 100cm plant height. The variety gets mature in 140-145 days.

BK 190: The variety gets mature in 140-145 days. It gives an average yield of 29-32 qtl/acre.

Other state varieties:

PR 111: It is short-statured, stiff strewed variety and it leave are erect and dark green in color. It matures in 135 days. Its grains are long, slender and clear. It is resistant bacterial leaf blight disease and gives average yield of 27 qtl/acre.

PR 113: It is short-statured, stiff strewed variety and its leave is erect and dark green in color. It matures in 142 days. Grain is bold and heavy. It is resistant bacterial leaf blight disease and gives average yield of 28 qtl/acre.

PR 114: It is semi-dwarf, stiff strewed variety having narrow, dark green erect leaves. It matures in 145 days. Its grains are extra-long, clear translucent grains with very good cooking quality. It gives average yield of 27.5 qtl/acre.

PR 115: It is semi-dwarf, stiff strewed variety having narrow, dark green erect leaves. It matures in 125 days. Its grains are long slender, translucent with good cooking quality. It gives average yield of 25 qtl/acre.

PR 116: It is semi-dwarf, stiff strewed variety. It shows resistant to lodging. Its leaves are light green and erect. It matures in 144 days. Its grains are long, slender and translucent. Its average yield is 28 quintals/acre.

PR 118: It is a semi-dwarf, stiff strewed and lodging tolerant variety. Its leaves are dark green and leaves are erected. It matures in 158 days. Its grains are medium slender with good cooking quality. Its average yield is 29 qtl/acre.

PR 120: It is semi dwarf variety with long slender and translucent grains with high cooking quality. It matures in 132 days. It gives average yield of 28.5 qtl/acre.

PR 121: It is short, stiff strewed variety. It shows resistant to lodging. Its leaves are dark green and erect. It matures in 140 days. Its grains are long, slender and translucent. It is resistive to bacterial blight pathogen. It gives average yield of 30.5qtl/acre.

PR 122: It is semi-dwarf, stiff strewed variety having dark green erect leaves. It matures in 147 days. It possesses long slender translucent grains with good cooking quality. It gives average yield of 31.5qtl/acre.

PR 123: It is semi dwarf, stiff strewed variety with dark green and erect leaves. Its grains are long, slender and translucent. It is moderately resistant to bacterial blight pathogen. It gives average yield of 29 qtl/acre.

PR 126: This variety is released by PAU for general cultivation in Punjab. It is an early maturing which gets mature in 123 days after transplanting. The variety is resistant to bacterial blight disease. It gives an average yield of 30 qtl/acre.

HKR 47: This is Semi dwarf variety having high yield with long slender and golden color grains. It is resistant to false smut disease. It matures in 135 days. It is prone to lodging.

CSR 30: The variety has extra-long slender shaped grains which are known for its excellent cooking and good eating qualities. The variety gets mature within 142 days after transplanting. It gives an average yield of 13.5 qtls/acre.

After harvesting of wheat grow Dhaincha (seed rate 20 kg/acre) or Sunhemp @ 20 kg/acre or cowpea @ 12 kg/acre up to first week of May. When crop is of 6-8 week old, bury them into the soil one day before transplanting of paddy. It will save 25 kg of N per acre. Use laser land leveler for land leveling. After then puddling is done in the soil for good water logging in the soil and also to increase the water holding capacity of soil.

Time of sowing:
Nursery Preparation: 15th to 30th May is the optimum time for nursery preparation.

Spacing:
For normal sown crop a spacing of 20 - 22.5 cm between rows is recommended. When sowing is delayed a closer spacing of 15-18 cm should be adopted.

Method of sowing:
Broadcasting method

Sowing depth:
The seedlings should be transplanted at 2 to 3 cm depth. Shallow planting gives better yields.
 
 

Seed Rate:
For direct sowing or broad casting use seed rate of 10-12 kg/acre and for dibbling use seed rate of 8-10 kg/acre. For wet bed and dry bed paddy nursery, 10-12 kg seeds for 500 square metre nursery area is sufficient for transplanting one acre of main field. Where as in modified dapog method use seed rate of 10-15 kg for 100m2 nursery areas for transplanting one acre land.

Seed treatment:
Before sowing, soak them in 10Ltr water containing, Carbendazim@20gm+ Streptocycline@1gm for 8 to 10 hour before sowing. After then dry seeds in shade and then use for sowing. Also you can use below mention fungicides to protect crop from root rot disease. Use chemical fungicides first then treat seed with Trichoderma.

Fertilizer Requirement (kg/acre)

For aromatic dwarf varieties, use Nitrogen @37-38kg/acre and for Basmati 370 and Taraori Basmati varieties use Nitrogen@25kg/acre. Apart from this use 15kg phosphorus and 12kg potash. From this use 12kg Nitrogen, 15kg Phosphorus and 12kg potash at the time of sowing. Remaining nitrogen is added after 30 days of sowing.

Use Butachlor 50 EC @ 1200 ml/acre or Thiobencarb 50 EC @ 1200 ml or Pendimethalin 30 EC @1000 ml or Pretilachlor 50 EC @600 ml per acre as pre-emergence herbicides, 2 to 3 days after transplanting. Mix any one of these herbicides in 60 kg of sand per acre and broadcast uniformly in 4-5 cm deep standing water.
For broadleaf weed control, apply Metsulfuron 20 WP @ 30gm/acre in 150Ltr water as post emergence, 20-25 days after transplanting. Before spray, drained out the standing water from the field and apply irrigation one day after spray.
 

Keep field flooded up to two weeks after transplanting. When all water gets infiltrated two day after apply irrigation in field. Depth of standing water should not exceed 10 cm. While doing intercultural and weeding operation, drain out excess water from field and irrigate field after completion of this operations. Stop irrigation about a fortnight before maturity to facilitate easy harvesting.

• Disease and their control:
  

Root Weevil: The presence of root weevil can be detected by the root and leave damage of yield. These are white legless grub feeds mainly on root. Plant gives yellow appearance, growth gets stunted and few tillers are form.
If incidence is observed apply Carbaryl (4G)@10 kg either Phorate (10 G)@4 kg or Carbofuran (3 G) @10 kg per acre.

Plant Hoppers: These mainly occur in the irrigated wetland conditions or in rainfed areas. The presence of pest shows the browning of the yield, sooty molds and honeydew present in bases where infected.
If incidence is observed to control, spray with Dichlorvos@200ml or 800gm Carbaryl in 150 Ltr of water per acre or Imidacloprid@40 ml or Quinalphos 25 EC@400 ml or Chlorpyriphos@1ml in 150 ltrs of water per acre.

Leaf folder: This pest develops in high humidity and specifically found where rice is fertilized heavily. Larva fold the leaves and eat the plant tissue and produces white streaks.
Control: If infestation is observed spray crop with Cartap hydrochloride @ 170 gm or Triazophos @350 ml in 150 Ltr of water per acre.

Rice Hispa: It is serious pest in some districts. Larva create tunnel into leaves and thus destroyed leaves by producing white streaks on leaves.
If Infestation is observed in field, spray crop with Methyl Parathion@300 ml or Quinalphos 25 EC@400 ml in 150 ltr of water per acre.

Stem borer: Larva bore into the stem and causes dead heart. The old ones produce empty ear heads which turn white.
Control: If infestation is observed in field take spray of Cartap hydrochloride @ 170 gm or Triazophos @ 350 ml per 150 Ltr of water.

• Disease and their control
  

Blast: Due to blast disease, spindle shaped spots with grayish centre and brown margin observed on the leaves. Also give neck rot symptoms and panicles get fall over. Observed in areas having excessive use of Nitrogen.
If infestation is observed, spray with Zineb@500 gm/acre in 150 Ltr of water.

Karnal Bunt: Few grains in panicle get affected first and part of grain gets converted into black powder. In severe condition whole panicle gets affected and black powder spread on leaves, grains etc.
To control this disease, avoid excess use of Nitrogen. When crop is at 10% flowering stage, take spray of Tilt 25 EC @200 ml/150 litre of water. Repeat the spray with interval of 10 days.
 

Brown leaf spot: It produces oval, eye-shaped spots with a conspicuous dark-brown dot in the centre and light brown margin. Spots are developed on grains also. In low nutrient soil, this attacked more.
To keep check on this disease, give balance amount of nutrient. When crop is at boot stage take spray of Tebuconazole @ 200 ml or Propiconazole @200 ml in 150 Ltr of water. After 15 days repeat the spray.

False smut: This fungus developed large greenish velvety spore-balls on individual grains. In humid, high rainfall and cloudy conditions, chances of spread of disease are high. Excessive use of Nitrogen also increases intensity of attack.
To control this disease spray with 500 gm Copper Oxychloride per acre in 200 Ltr of water at boot stage in crop. With interval of 10 days, take spray with Tilt 25 EC @ 200 ml/150 liters of water.

 

Sheath blight: On leaf sheath, grayish lesion with purple margin is developed. Later these lesions get developed and enlarge. In severe condition, poor grain filling is observed. Avoid excess use of Nitrogen. Keep field clean.
If incidence of disease is observed, spray crop with Tebuconazole or Tilt 25 EC@200 ml or Carbendazim 25% @400 gm in 150 Ltrs of water per acre. Repeat the spray after 15 days interval.

Reap the yield once the panicles are developing fully as well as the crops get changed significantly yellow. The yield is generally harvested manually by sickles or by blend harvester. The harvested crops, tied up into compact bundles, strike it against really hard surface to split the grains from straw, accompanied by winnowing.

The post-harvest method includes some procedures which include the interval from harvest to utilization 1) harvesting 2) threshing 3) cleaning 4) drying 5) warehouse 6) milling then transport to the trade.

Before the storage of grains to protect harvested stuff from pest and disease attack, mix 500 gm Neem seed dust with 10 Kgs of seed. To protect stored grains from pests attacked mix Malathion 50 EC@30 ml/3 Ltr of water. Spray for 100 sq.mtr storage area at every 15 days.