Effect of establishment methods on aromatic rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes in lower Gangetic plains of West Bengal

A field experiment was conducted at Jaguli, Nadia, West Bengal, India, during the rainy (kharif) season of 2016, to study the response of four aromatic (Oryza sativa L.) rice genotypes ('Gobindabhog', ‘Radhunipagal’, ‘Tulaipanji’ and ‘Kalonunia’) under 3 establishment methods [conventional planting, drum seeding and modified system of rice intensification (SRI)].The plants raised under modified SRI showed the maximum plant height at harvesting (136.7 cm), tiller production (298/m2) at 63 days after transplanting (DAT), and dry-matter production at 33 DAT (194 g/m2/day) and 63 DAT (444 g/m2/day). Conventional planting resulted in the highest grain yield (2.24 t/ha), head rice recovery (HRR) (55.2%) and net income (32,593/ha), which were greater over the modified SRI (2.09 t/ha, 53.5% and 30,901/ha) and drum seeding method (2.0 t/ha, 53.2% and 32,192/ha). ‘Gobindabhog’ had the highest grain yield (2.35 t/ha), HRR (56.5%), net income (39,754/ha) and benefit: cost (B:C) ratio (2.13) compared to the other genotypes; but ‘Kalonunia’ might be tried as a second option in New Alluvial Zone of West Bengal.