EFFECT OF HERBICIDE AND NITROGEN ON YIELD OF SCENTED RICE (ORYZA-SATIVA) UNDER DIFFERENT RICE CULTURES

An experiment was conducted to find out the effect of herbicides and n itrogen on yield of scented rice (Oryza sativa L.) under different ric e cultures. Under transplanted rice, weed population and their dry wei ght were significantly lower, whereas effective tilieres/m(2), grains/ panicle and grain yield of rice were significantly higher than under d irect-seeded puddled rice. Application of 120 kg N/ha significantly in creased the yield attributes and yield as well as weed population and their dry weight compared with 60 kg N/ha. Under both transplanted and direct-seeded puddled rice cultures hand-weeding caused maximum decre ase in weed population and their dry weight and increase in yield attr ibutes and yield. However, effect of herbicide treatments was not alik e. Herbicides were found more effective under transplanted rice. Butac hlor (1.0 kg/ha), anilofos (0.3 kg/ha) and clorimuron ethyl (0.012 kg/ ha) caused almost identical decrease in weed population and their dry weight and resulted in significant increase in yield attributes and yi eld of rice compared with weedy check. Chlorimuron ethyl was found mor e effective against broadleaved weeds. Effect of herbicides under dire ct-seeded puddled rice was not as palpable as in transplanted rice. Ne ither herbicides nor nitrogen caused noticeable change in the grain-qu ality characters, viz. hulling, milling and head-rice recovery (%), gr ain length, breadth and length : breadth ratio, before and after cooki ng in any year.