Effect of farmyard manure and nitrogen fertilizer on performance of rice (Oryza sativa) under intermediate deepwater condition

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during 1992 and 1993 at Cuttack, to study the effect of combined use of farmyard manure (0 and 10 t FYMIha) and urea fertilizer (0,20 and 40 kg Nlha at sowing andlor top dressing at active tillering) on direct-sown Gayatri rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown in up to 52-58 cm water depth. Adverse effects on growth vigour of rice plants due to initial drought and flooding were tolerated better with FYM application than that without or with N fertilizer alone. The grain yield response due to FYM was higher in the absence of N fertilizer (1.12-1.76 tlha) than when N fertilizer was also applied (0.69-1.34 tlha). Application of 10 t FYMIha re- sulted in either same or significantly higher grain yield than with 40 kg Nlha applied basally through urea fertilizer. Top dressing of 20-40 kg Nlha through urea supergranule placement resulted in no additional advantage in the FYM-treated plots, suggesting continued N supply throughout the crop growth period with organic manuring. The yield potential of rice was realized with 10 t FYMIha applied along with 20 kg Nlha at sowing under these drought-cum-flood prone lowland conditions,