TITLE:
Improved Management Options for Submergence-Tolerant (Sub1) Rice Genotype in Flood-Prone Rainfed Lowlands of West Bengal
AUTHORS:
Malay K. Bhowmick, Madhab C. Dhara, Sudhanshu Singh, Manzoor H. Dar, Uma S. Singh
KEYWORDS:
Nursery Management; Post-Flood Nitrogen Management; Submergence; Survival; Swarna-Sub1
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.5 No.1,
January
7,
2014
ABSTRACT: Flash flood or submergence is a common phenomenon
in rice growing rainfed lowland areas that seriously affects crop establishment
leading to severe yield losses. A few submergence-tolerant rice varieties have been developed by
introgressing SUB1 gene into mega rice varieties of South Asia. Two of these, Swarna-Sub1 and
Sambha Mahsuri-Sub1, are already released in India for the commercial
cultivation. Performance of these varieties can be further enhanced through
adoption of appropriate management practices both in nursery and in main field.
Two on-station field experiments were conducted using Swarna-Sub1 during the
wet season (kharif) of 2011 at Rice Research Station,
Chinsurah, Hooghly, West Bengal (India). Results of these experiments revealed
that the use of lower seeding density (25 g m-2), application of balanced doses of N-P2O5-K2O
@ 80-40-40 kg ha-1 in nursery and
transplanting of aged seedlings (44 days) significantly improved plant survival, yield
attributing traits and grain yield. An additional
N-dose of 20 kg ha-1 at 7 days after receding of flood water resulted in better
post-submergence recovery and maximum grain yield. In the on-farm trials conducted at three different locations in West
Bengal, nursery raising of seedlings with the application of N-P2O5-K2O @
80-40-40 kg ha-1, transplanting them at an optimum age (35 days) and application of 20 kg·N ha-1 after 7 days of de-submergence
produced maximum grain yield of Swarna-Sub1.