<div>Background:&nbsp;Rice is most important staple meal for more than half of the world&rsquo;s population. The conventional method of rice production uses a lot of water, requires a lot of labor and has a negative impact on soil and environmental health. Besides, unbalanced nutrient supply leads to low growth and development of plant, soil deterioration and poor environmental health.&nbsp; 
 
Methods:&nbsp;The field experiment was conducted with rice variety PR-121 using 4 establishment methods (transplanting, system of rice intensification, direct seeded rice and wet-direct seeded rice) and 5 nutrient management practices (100% RDF, 75% RDF+FYM (equiv. to 25% N), 150% RDF, RDF (LCC based N application) and RDF+5 t FYM) in split plot design with three replication.&nbsp; 
 
Result:&nbsp;Results revealed that the highest value of plant height was recorded under transplanting method while the maximum value of number of tillers m-2, dry matter accumulation crop and relative growth rate was found under direct seeded method of rice establishment over other establishment methods at all the stages of crop growth during both the years of study. Application of 150% RDF recorded the highest value of plant height, number of tillers m-2, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and relative growth rate on most of the crop growth stages during both the years of study compared to remaining nutrient management practices but found statistically on par with application of RDF+5 t FYM.</div>

Influence of Different Establishment Methods and Nutrient Management Practices on Growth Attributes of Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

<div>Background: Adequate tillage checks and delays the emergence of weeds and provides a more favourable environment for early crop establishment. Slow growth of crop plant provides favourable environment for emergence of weeds. Cultural as well as mechanical practices such as hand weeding and intercultural are effective but unavailability of labour and continuous rainfall in rainy season does not permit for timely management of weeds Chemical weed control is effective weed management option which provides effective control of weeds. It is well known that weeds are ubiquitous but their presence in cropped area particularly in rainy season crops like clusterbean act as major limiting factor in achieving high potential yield. The current study aimed to study the impact of crop establishment methods and weed control practices on productivity and profitability of clusterbean.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was carried out to find out suitable method of crop establishment methods and weed management practices in clusterbean during kharif seasons of 2018, 2019 and 2020. The experiment was conducted in spilt plot design with three replications. The treatments were four crop establishment methods viz., conventional sowing, zero tillage sowing, broad bed sowing, zero tillage sowing with mulch as main plots and four weed control practices viz., weedy check, pendimethalin+imazethapyr 1000 g ha-1, T3- Imazethapyr 40 g ha-1, T4-Imazethapyr+imazamox 40 g ha-1 as sub plot treatments . 
 
Result: The broad bed sowing of clusterbean along with pre-emergence application of&nbsp; pendimethalin+ imazethapyr 1000 g ha-1 was found effective to achieve higher productivity and farm profitability.</div>

Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Productivity and Profitability of Clusterbean under Semi-arid Region of Rajasthan

Background: SRI and aerobic rice are one of the techniques of growing rice under water scarcity areas where meeting water requirement is becoming a global threat. Weeds are another threat to yield of rice irrespective of different establishment methods. Until checked, it can decline rice yield and quality up to more than 70%. SRI and aerobic rice have different densities of weeds and integrated weed management can be applied to suppress the weeds. Considering the current scenario, research was conducted to investigate growth, yield and bioenergetics of rice under different establishment methods and weed management.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment entitled &ldquo;Effect of crop establishment methods and weed management practices on productivity and bioenergetics of rice&rdquo; was carried out in split plot design with main plots, viz., M1- aerobic rice (AR) and M2- system of rice intensification (SRI) and five subplots W1- pre-emergence (pendimethalin @1 kg a.i ha-1) fb post-emergence (bispyribac-sodium @20g a.i ha-1) (PE+POE), W2- pre-emergence (pendimethalin @1 kg a.i ha-1) fb cono weeding at 15, 30, and 45 DAT/ DAS (PE+CW), W3- weed free (WF), W4- weedy check (WC), W5- stale seedbed followed by post-emergence herbicide (bispyribac-sodium 10% SC 20 g a.i ha-1) (SSB+POE) in split plot design with three replications taking the variety &lsquo;Pusa Basmati-1121&rsquo; as a test crop. 
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Result: Among the establishment methods, SRI recorded significantly higher growth attributes like plant height and dry matter production and yield attributes like number of panicles per hill, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index. Among the weed management treatments, WF recorded significantly higher growth attributes like plant height, number of tillers per hill, dry matter production and yield attributes like number of panicles per hill, panicle length, number of grains per panicle, test weight, grain yield, straw yield, biological yield, and harvest index that was followed by treatment PE+CW. Maximum net return and B:C ratio was observed in the treatment combinations M2W2- SRI + (PE+CW). The maximum total energy input was found in the treatment combination M1W1- AR+ (PE+POE) and the maximum total energy output was found in the treatment combination M2W3- SRI + WF. The energy intensiveness was observed to be maximum in the treatment combination M1W4- AR + WC and the maximum energy efficiency index was observed in the treatment combination M2W3- SRI+WF.

Effect of Crop Establishment Methods and Weed Management Practices on Productivity and Bioenergetics of Rice

<div style="text-align: justify;">A field experiment was carried out during kharif (sali) 2016 at Jorhat, Assam to study the performance of two scented local varieties (Kalajoha and Bakuljoha) of rice under different staggered planting and crop establishment methods (transplanting and throwing of seedlings). Both the varieties were comparable in respect of grain and straw yields. However, delay in planting beyond 20th July with 30 days seedlings upto 20th September using 90 (30+60) days double planted seedlings significantly reduced the yield of rice. Transplanting of seedling significantly increased the grain and straw yields over the throwing of seedling method. Variety &lsquo;Bakuljoha&rsquo; recorded significantly higher net returns and benefit-cost ratio when transplanted on 20 July over other planting methods and dates.</div>

Effect of staggered planting and crop establishment methods on scented organic rainfed rice&nbsp;

<div>Background: Rice is a staple food for half of the world population. Green revolution paved way for high yielding varieties and caused disappearance of traditional variety under cultivation. However, due to focus on nutritional benefits, the rice farmer&rsquo;s sight have returned towards cultivation of traditional landraces. To evaluate this, the present research aim to study the cooking quality of various landraces under different water saving establishment methods. 
 
Methods: The field experiment was conducted during Samba 2021, in wetlands of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The experiment was laid out in split plot design comprising four establishment methods as main plots viz. Aerobic rice (M1), Puddled transplanting (M2), Unpuddled transplanting (M3), Direct seeded rice (M4) with traditional landraces viz. Karuppu kavuni (V1), Mapillai samba (V2) and Seeraga samba (V3) in sub plots. 
 
Result: In this study physical characters like hulling and milling percentage, kernel length, breadth and length breadth ratio were analyzed along with the cooking qualities like kernel length and breadth after cooking, cooking time, linear elongation ratio, breadth expansion ratio, volume expansion ratio, solid loss, water absorption index and water solubility index. The puddled transplanting treatment recorded higher hulling and milling percentage of 4.5% and 5.8% than the aerobic rice cultivation. Among the landraces mapillai samba recorded kernel length and kernel breadth 8.20&plusmn;0.06 mm and 2.78&plusmn;0.02 mm respectively. The water absorption index and water solubility index was found to be higher in puddled transplanting treatment with 4.4% and 6.4% respectively than the aerobic rice treatment.</div>

Influence of Rice Establishment Methods Affecting the Cooking Quality of Traditional Landraces in South India

A field experiment was conducted at farmers&rsquo; field in West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, India during kharif 2010 and 2011 to study the root characteristics of rice under different establishment methods and integrated weed management practices. Results revealed that the length, volume and biomass of roots were higher in SRI method followed by ICM method than CRC system at physiological maturity stage during both the years of investigation. Hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAT followed by butachlor 50 EC@1.5 kg a.i.ha-1 at 3 DAT + mechanical weeding at 20 DAT recorded higher root parameters over unweeded control during both years of field study. Maximum grain yield of rice was recorded with SRI method of establishment followed by ICM. Among the weed management practices, hand weeding twice at 20 DAT and 40 DAT recorded significantly higher grain yield closely followed by butachlor 50EC@1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 at 3 DAT + one mechanical weeding at 20 DAT. The higher net profit and B:C ratio &nbsp;under SRI establishment method of wetland rice could be obtained with butachlor 50 EC@1.5 kg a.i. ha-1 at 3 DAT + mechanical weeding at 20 DAT followed by hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAT. In ICM higher grain yield was recorded with hand weeding twice at 20 and 40 DAT.

Studies on root phenology, productivity and economics of wetland rice&nbsp;(Oryza sativa L.) as influenced by establishment methods&nbsp;and weed management practices

Background: Crop establishment methods and nutrient management practices treatments were continuously practiced in the same plots since 2011-12 as a part of long-term experiment. A field study was conducted during 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 i.e. during 9th and 10th year of study to investigate the effects of CE methods and nutrient management on growth, physiological, biochemical, yield attributes and yield of rice crop. 
 
Methods: Field experiments were carried out at the Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, laid out in split plot design replicated thrice with four crop establishment (CE) methods viz., CT (puddled transplanted) rice-CT wheat (CE1),CTDSR rice-CT wheat (CE2), CTDSR- ZT wheat (rice residue retention) (CE3), ZT rice-ZT wheat (residue retention in rice and wheat) (CE4) in main plots and three nutrient management (NM) practices viz., FP (164 kg N, 50 kg P2O5, 32 kg K2O and 4 kg Zn ha-1) (N1), RFD (150 kg N, 60 kg P2O5, 60 kg K2O and 5 kg Zn ha-1) (N2) and SSNM- RWCM recommendation (N3). The rice variety used was &lsquo;Sarju-52&rsquo; in the present study. 
 
Result: The recorded data revealed that ZT rice&ndash;ZT wheat (CE4) recorded significantly higher plant height, tillers hill-1, leaf area, RWC, total chlorophyll content and protein content as compared to other CE methods. Among NM practices, SSNM-RWCM (N3) recorded significantly higher plant height, tillers hill-1, leaf area and protein content, whereas, RWC and total chlorophyll content did not differ significantly over farmer&rsquo;s practice and recommended fertilizer dose. Improved growth and physio-chemical attributes in ZT rice-ZT wheat (CE4) and SSNM-RWCM (N3) resulted in significantly higher panicles hill-1, fertility percentage and number of filled grains panicle-1 over other CE methods and NM practices. Panicle length, spikelets panicle-1 and test weight showed non-significant differences. Grain yield, straw yield and biological yield were significantly higher in ZT rice-ZT wheat (CE4) among CE methods and SSNM-RWCM (N3) among NM practices. The harvest index showed non-significant differences for CE methods and NM practices both.

Physiological and Biochemical Basis of Variation in Yield of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under CA-based Crop Establishment Methods and Nutrient Management in R-W Cropping System

Background: Cereal-cereal cropping sequence is one of the major crop sequences followed on the same land over the years that has led to decreased soil fertility and increased concern for sustainability. It significantly causes the depletion of available soil nutrients leading to decreased crop productivity. Therefore, it is vital to make efforts to include leguminous crops after rice for maintaining soil fertility and sustainability. Mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) is an option that can be included in different rice-based cropping systems for enhancing soil productivity. 
 
Methods: The experiment was conducted over two consecutive seasons, 2021-22 and 2022-23 on clay loam soils at S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati campus of Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh. The test varieties used in the present field experiment were NLR-34449 for rice and LGG-460 for green gram. The rice experiment included three establishment methods as main plot treatments and seven organic nutrient management as sub-plot treatments. Following the rice cultivation, green gram was sown to assess the residual effects of the treatments. 
 
Result: The results revealed that the growth and yield parameters as well as economics of green gram were significantly higher in dry direct seeded rice compared to transplanted and wet seeded rice. Among different organic manures, application of 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through poultry manure (PM) to rice resulted in significantly higher growth and yield parameters of green gram followed by application of 50 % RDN through FYM + 50% RDN through PM. The interaction effect between different establishment methods and organic manures could not exert any significant influence on any of the parameters studied in the present investigation. 
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Residual Effect of Different Establishment Methods and Organic Manures Imposed on Rice on Growth, Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Economics of Succeeding Green Gram

Background: Agricultural production faces challenges, such as soil depletion, declining yields and climate variability, necessitating sustainable practices. Conservation agriculture (CA) improves soil health, ecosystem conservation and resource efficiency but is underutilized in cereal-based systems in South Asia. Incorporating legumes, such as green gram into cropping systems enhances nitrogen turnover and soil health. This study examines the effects of CA practices and residual nitrogen on green gram performance and soil health in a wheat-green gram-maize cropping system. 
 
Methods: A two-year field study (Rabi 2021-Kharif 2023) was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, on sandy loam soil. The experiment was conducted using a split plot design and replicated thrice. Main plot treatments comprised of three crop establishment methods: conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage with residue retention (ZT+R) and permanent raised beds with residue retention (PB+R), whereas subplot treatments consist seven nitrogen management (NM) strategies for wheat and maize (varying RDN levels with prilled urea or nano-urea). No nitrogen was applied to the green gram, relying on the residual nitrogen from the wheat, as phosphorus and potassium were applied as per recommendation. 
 
Result: Permanent raised beds with residue retention (PB+R) significantly improved plant height, biomass, LAI, yield and nitrogen uptake compared with conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage with residue retention (ZT+R). Nitrogen management with 100% RDN enhanced the nitrogen uptake, chlorophyll content and protein content. PB+R with 100% RDN recorded significantly highest green gram yield (0.85 t ha-1) and nitrogen uptake, attributed to improved root proliferation, water conservation and nutrient acquisition. permanent raised beds with residue retention along with 100% RDN also recorded the highest net returns and BC ratio.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Effect of Establishment Methods and Residual Nitrogen on Moongbean in Wheat based Cropping Systems

Background: A two-year field study was conducted at the ICRISAT research farm during the rainy seasons of 2021 and 2022 to investigate the impact of crop geometry, crop establishment method and sustainable nutrient management practices on nutrient availability pattern and growth of hybrid pigeon pea. 
 
Methods: The experiment followed a split-split plot design. The collected data was analysed using radar graph and heat maps for nutrient availability and dry matter respectively. 
 
Result: Data revealing that transplanted plots registered higher nutrient availability and proportionate root and total dry matter production at various growth stages. Among plant geometry the root and total dry matter production was higher with 100&times;100 cm. when considering planting methods, transplanting with a square system of 100&times;100 cm, combined with an integrated nutrient management approach consisting of 150% (or) 100% soil test based NPK, vermicompost at a rate of 5 t ha-1, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and seed treatment with Rhizobium, resulted in average of 31.5% higher dry matter production over alone inorganic nutrient management practices. Thus, a square geometry of 100&times;100 cm, along with sustainable integrated nutrient management (100% soil test based NPK, vermicompost at a rate of 5 t ha-1, PSB and seed treatment with Rhizobium), resulted in higher nutrient availability and dry matter production. These findings highlight the importance of careful selection of planting methods, crop geometry and nutrient management practices for maximizing the nutrient mining for production of high dry matter production of hybrid pigeonpea.

Bio-inoculated Nutrient Management Influence on Soil Nutrient Availability Pattern and Growth of Hybrid Pigeonpea (ICPH 2740) under Establishment Methods and Crop Geometry