INFLUENCE OF NURSERY MANAGEMENT AND SEEDLING AGE ON GROWTH AND ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE OF FINE RICE

Seedling vigor is the basic component of the transplanted rice, which depends on its growing environment and proper age. Thus the influence of nursery management and seedling age was evaluated after transplanting 10, 20, 30, and 40-days older seedlings raised by using seed rate (high and low) and nitrogen (N) (with and without) in rice growing season 2008 and 2009. Study revealed that 10-days older nursery seedlings, irrespective to nursery-bed treatments, showed accelerated growth start after transplanting in main field while at later stages significant interaction was observed. Transplanting of 20-days older fertilized seedlings grown at low seeding density at nursery-bed resulted in similar growth performance as in younger. Maximum net-benefit (45111, 44402 Rs. ha(-1)) was recorded with transplanting 10-days older nursery seedlings while the fertilized seedlings grown at lower seeding density recorded highest net-benefit (37908, 36780 Rs. ha(-1)) in both the years.