A field experiment was carried out under agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura to evaluate different planting techniques for rice cultivation during Kharif-2014 and 2015 at Adaptive Research Farm, Sheikhupura. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five treatments, each replicated thrice during both the years. The treatments comprised, transplanting of nursery (Conventional method of sowing), direct seeding (Broadcasting of sprouted seed in puddled soil), direct seeding (Broadcasting of sprouted seed in standing water without pudded soil), direct seeding (Drilling of soaked seed after land preparation in wattar condition) and direct seeding (Broadcasting of soaked seed in dry soil). All other agronomic and plant protection practices were kept uniform throughout the growing season during both the years. Data related to plant height at maturity, number of productive tillers, number of grains per spike, 1000-grain weight and paddy yield was recorded by using appropriate procedures. The results revealed that transplanted rice in puddled soil was better than direct seeded rice sown by all different methods. However, net economic return was lowest in transplanted rice and higher net returns were gained when rice was sown using DSR under agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura-Pakistan. It could be concluded that even transplanted rice is better than DSR in terms of reaping higher paddy yield, but DSR could also not be neglected as its economic returns are higher than transplanted rice and is not labour dependent for its timely and proper execution.
Rice, drilling, transplantation, paddy yield
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