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Rice is best known as a staple food for half of the world's population. Brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a serious insect pest of rice crops throughout Asia. In case of a severe attack, the whole crop turns brown called 'hopperburn' and farmers face great yield losses. The experiments were performed to evaluate the planting geometry and nutritional effects on N. lugens abundance and yield attributes of the crop using susceptible rice (var. Basmati 515). Results indicated that planting geometries with more space (60 and 90 cm) after 12 lines with a uniform number of plants in each plot had less incidence of N. lugens as compared to narrow spaced (0 and 30 cm) geometries. More number of N. lugens nymphs (80.0-95.0 number/plant) were recorded with less spaced planting geometry as compared to higher spaced planting geometry (27.0-29.5 numbers/plant) during both years. With different planting geometry, no significant difference was recorded in the agronomic parameters except yield and 1000 grain weight. The highest yield was recorded in a plot with 90 cm path followed by 60, 30 and 0cm path, respectively. Towards different doses of nitrogen and phosphorus on N. lugens, the higher dose of nitrogen had a significant effect on N. lugens nymph survival, adult emergence and survival, while the phosphorus induced a non-significant effect. Therefore, in the absence of N. lugens resistant variety, ecological manipulation and nutrients availability could be a better strategy for shortterm N. lugens management in organic rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting method is an important aspect of production technology for the maximum resource utilization by crops per unit area. Dry-seeded rice (DSR) is a contemporary resource saving crop establishing technique, which enables farmers to harvest economical rice production. Field study was conducted at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan in 2014 and in 2015 to evaluate the different planting methods. Three dry-seeded rice (DSR) planting methods viz. (i) DSR-broadcast, (ii) DSR-drill, (iii) DSR-ridges were compared with the conventional transplanting (TR) method in lines having row to row and plant to plant distance of 22.5cm distance, and farmer transplanting method. Experimental design was randomized complete block, replicated 3 times. Data were recorded on height (cm), tillers m-2, filled and unfilled grains panicle-1, thousand grain weight (g), grain and biomass yield (t ha-1). Grain sterility (%) and harvest index (%) were also calculated. Highest grain yield (5.00 to 5.11 t ha-1) with harvest index (30.00 to 31.50%) and relatively low grain sterility (12.00 to 12.01%) were observed in DSR-ridge and DSR-drill sowing method. Moreover, DSR (i.e. DSR-ridge and -drill) resulted in 104 and 76 % more profit over TR-farmer practice. The study concluded that DSR-ridge and DSR-drill proved to be the best to obtain the maximum paddy yield and net profit. Farmers can adopt these methods to harvest maximum benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a main staple food in Pakistan, after wheat and is generally cultivated through raising nursery seedlings and transplanting them in puddled soils. Declining surface water, high cost of pumped groundwater, high labor costs, and drudgery in manually transplanted rice (TPR) have motivated researchers to develop alternated technology such as direct seeded rice (DSR). About 30% of total water used in rice cultivation is consumed for puddling of soil (land preparation) and transplanting operations. Physical properties of soils are deteriorating due to continued puddling over the decades, resulting in structural breakdown leads to a compacted layer (the plough plate) that acts as a barrier to the infiltration of water and causes temporary waterlogging, which confines the penetration of roots and growth of a subsequent wheat crop after the harvesting of rice crop. DSR technology helps by eliminating the need for continuous ponding of water and thus lessens water use for rice production, resulting in saving of 15-20% of water over TPR. DSR is also a less labor-intensive and more farmers-friendly, time-saving and cost-effective technology than TPR. The Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, has refined the DSR technology and production practices and conducted 20 field demonstrations of DSR with modified seed drills during 2017 in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sheikhupura, and Sialkot districts. The super basmati rice variety was direct seeded in comparison with manually TPR. The DSR was carried out in well prepared dry seed bed with the help of tractor mounted rice drill. Irrigation was applied immediately after sowing and after 24 hours pendimethline was sprayed as pre-emergence weedicide. The irrigation was repeated about 4-5 days after pre-emergence weedicide application and afterwards about 3-5 days interval till tillering phase and then 5-7 days interval till crop maturity. The overall results indicated that paddy yield was 20% higher under DSR as compared to TPR. Moreover, during 2017 in Punjab Province, Pakistan, more than 2500 farmers cultivated rice using DSR on an area of about 10000 ha and found it more cost effective than manually TPR. Therefore, farmers can opt this technology to harvest maximum benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a main staple food in Pakistan, after wheat and is generally cultivated through raising nursery seedlings and transplanting them in puddled soils. Declining surface water, high cost of pumped groundwater, high labor costs, and drudgery in manually transplanted rice (TPR) have motivated researchers to develop alternated technology such as direct seeded rice (DSR). About 30% of total water used in rice cultivation is consumed for puddling of soil (land preparation) and transplanting operations. Physical properties of soils are deteriorating due to continued puddling over the decades, resulting in structural breakdown leads to a compacted layer (the plough plate) that acts as a barrier to the infiltration of water and causes temporary waterlogging, which confines the penetration of roots and growth of a subsequent wheat crop after the harvesting of rice crop. DSR technology helps by eliminating the need for continuous ponding of water and thus lessens water use for rice production, resulting in saving of 15-20% of water over TPR. DSR is also a less labor-intensive and more farmers-friendly, time-saving and cost-effective technology than TPR. The Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, has refined the DSR technology and production practices and conducted 20 field demonstrations of DSR with modified seed drills during 2017 in Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Narowal, Sheikhupura, and Sialkot districts. The super basmati rice variety was direct seeded in comparison with manually TPR. The DSR was carried out in well prepared dry seed bed with the help of tractor mounted rice drill. Irrigation was applied immediately after sowing and after 24 hours pendimethline was sprayed as pre-emergence weedicide. The irrigation was repeated about 4-5 days after pre-emergence weedicide application and afterwards about 3-5 days interval till tillering phase and then 5-7 days interval till crop maturity. The overall results indicated that paddy yield was 20% higher under DSR as compared to TPR. Moreover, during 2017 in Punjab Province, Pakistan, more than 2500 farmers cultivated rice using DSR on an area of about 10000 ha and found it more cost effective than manually TPR. Therefore, farmers can opt this technology to harvest maximum benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]