RESPONSE OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVAL.) GENOTYPES UNDER TO DIFFERENT PLANTING DATES

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a vital food crop that holds a significant position in the world's economy. It ranks third globally in terms of production, following wheat and maize. Moreover, rice serves as the staple food crop for approximately two-thirds of the world's population. The planting date has a significant impact on rice productivity. When rice is sown under optimal conditions, including favorable air and soil temperatures and adequate soil moisture, the crop's performance shows a notable improvement. Nonetheless, planting rice too early can expose the crop to cold temperatures, which may result in poor germination, low seedling vigor, and seedling mortality. Conversely, planting too late can lead to reduced yields and grain quality since the critical reproductive phase coincides with the peak of summer heat, negatively affecting rice grain yield and quality. During the Khaif season of 2022, the field experiment was conducted at the Rice Research Center (RRC) Dokri. The experiment was laid out in split plot design containing three sowing dates’ viz. 30thJune, 15thJuly and 30thJuly in main plots and four rice genotypes viz. NUYT-M-11, NUYT-M-8, NUYT-M-10 and Latify (check) as sub plot treatments. Nevertheless, rice crops sown on June 30th demonstrated markedly superior performance compared to other sowing dates. These crops exhibited a plant height of 97.27 cm, 19.18 tillers per plant, a panicle length of 20.11 cm, a seed index of 29.82 g, a biological yield of 8964 kg/ha, a grain yield of 5330 kg/ha, and a harvest index of 84.11%. The interaction between genotypes and sowing dates significantly influenced the observed plant height, tillers per plant, panicle length, seed index, biological yield, grain yield, and harvest index. Among the genotypes, NUYT-M-11 sown on June 30th displayed the highest values for these parameters.