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Sci Tech
High yielding red rice variety for high ranges
By Our Agriculture Correspondent
The hybrid is resistant to Udbatta disease and moderately resistant to blast and pests like leaf roller and stem-borer.
A MEDIUM-duration red rice variety with high yield potential has become popular among rice growers in the high range (900 to 1200 m above sea level) district of Wayanad in Kerala. Developed by the scientists at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ambalavayal of the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU), the improved variety was released for commercial cultivation in the name of Deepthi, a few years ago.
Developed by pureline selection from the local variety Edavaka, the new variety has been found to have positive traits for growing in the high ranges.
In the field trials at Wayanad and Idukki districts, it out yielded local checks in the first and second cropping seasons, according to the scientists.
It is resistant to Udbatta disease and moderately resistant to blast and pests like leaf - roller and stem-borer. It has moderate tolerance to drought.
Deepthi is a semi-tall (128 cm) photo-insensitive variety with dark green foliage. It produces about eight effective tillers. It has an average grain yield of 4 tonnes per hectare, and a straw yield of 4.74 tonnes in 155 days (seed to seed).
The 1000-grain weight of the variety is 29.3 g, according to the scientists. It is suitable for planting in both the first and second crop seasons. It is a medium-duration variety (150 to 160 days) and it produced red-kernelled rice with good cooking quality.
In the field trials it had recorded a high grain yield of 6875 kg per hectare and a high straw yield of 6286 kg per hectare.
In the higher ranges, farmers prefer this variety to the others because of its earliness and high yielding capacity.
Due to the unique agro-climatic condition in the higher ranges, rice varieties take a longer time to form grains and mature, and in such a situation the new variety has become a natural choice for the growers.
About 80 kg seeds of this variety are needed for transplanting in one hectare. For the broadcast crop about 100 kg seeds are needed. Liberal quantities of ripe farmyard manure or any other organic manure should be incorporated in the field for getting good yields.
The crop responds to sound nutrient management.
A nutrient dose of 90 kg nitrogen, 45 kg phosphorus and 45 kg potash is recommended per hectare.
The seedlings should be ready for planting in the main field when they are 35 days old.
An espacement of 20 cm by 10 cm will ensure an adequate plant density in the field.
Care should be taken to avoid the excessive application of nitrogen as it may lead to lodging of the crop towards maturity.
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