Effect of planting dates and soil water regimes on growth and yield of upland rice

The response of rice (cv. Pant Dhan-4) to different planting dates and soil water regimes under upland conditions was studied in tarai region of Uttaranchal at the G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Delay in planting from15 June to 15 July decreased plant height (13%), leaf area index (10%), number of tillers (5%), number of days to panicle initiation (6 to 8 days), 50 per cent flowering (12 to 15 days), maturity (6 to 7 days) and grain yield (5 to 15%). Application of 7.5 cm irrigation water 3 days after disappearance from the plot reduced the number of tillers by 11 per cent and grain yield by 16 to 20 per cent over continuous submergence of 5.0 + 2.5 cm irrigation water. Crop maturity was delayed by 8 to 11 days due to change in soil water regimes from continuous submergence to rainfed conditions.