PERFORMANCE OF DROUGHT TOLERANCE RICE VARIETIES IN DIFFERENT PLANT GEOMETRY AT SUNDARBAZAR, LAMJUNG

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in Agronomy farm of Lamjung campus during rainy season 2016. The main objective of the study was to evaluate high yielding drought tolerant rice varieties in typical rainfed condition at appropriate plant geometry. The experimental design was two factors randomized complete block design with three replications. Factor A denotes varieties (Sukkhadhan-2 and Sukkhadhan-5) while the Factor B denotes plant spacing (15cm × 20cm, 20cm × 20cm, 20cm × 25cm, 25cm × 25cm). The statistical result on grain yield revealed that the Sukkhdhan-5 has maximum grain yield (4.9 t ha-1) with harvest index (39.4%) compared to Sukkhadhan-2 (4.2 t ha-1). The tested spacing shows that maximum yield (5.2 t ha-1) was obtained from 15cm × 20 cm, while the lowest yield was at 25cm × 25cm spacing. The highest grain yield in 15cm x 20cm was due to higher effective tiller per hills, grains per panicle, harvest index. The interaction between the spacing and varieties shows non-significant effects on all of the parameters. Therefore, between two tested varieties and four different plant geometries, Sukkhadhan -5 varieties showed superior effect at spacing 15cm × 20cm compared to other varieties and spacing. However, the results need to be confirmed on other varieties in different plant geometry used by farmers in the region.

Keywords

• biological yield
• drought
• harvest index
• plant spacing
• yield attributes