Variations of growth parameters in transplanted Aman rice (cv. BRRI dhan39) in response to plant spacing and fertilizer management

The experiments were carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during June to December 2015 to investigate the effect of spacing and fertilizer management on the growth parameters of transplant Aman rice cv. BRRI dhan39. The experiment comprised of five spacing’s viz. 25 cm × 5 cm, 25 cm × 10 cm, 25 cm × 15 cm, 25 cm × 20 cm, 25 cm × 25 cm, and four fertilizer treatments viz. no manure and no fertilizer (control), recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (80-60-40 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1 ,respectively + 60 kg ha-1 gypsum + 10 kg ha-1 ZnSO4), 75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer + cow dung at 5 t ha-1 ,75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer + poultry manure @ 2.5 t ha-1 . The highest and lowest plant height was found in spacing 25 cm × 15 cm, and 25 cm × 5 cm, respectively at all dates of observations. Spacing 25 cm × 15 cm, produced the highest number of tillers hill-1 at 80 DAT. Leaf area index (LAI) and total dry matter (TDM) hill-1 were the highest in 25 cm × 15 cm spacing and lowest in 25 cm × 5 cm spacing. The highest plant height, LAI and total TDM hill-1 were recorded in 75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer + cow dung at 5 t ha-1 and the lowest values were observed in control treatment. In case of interaction, the highest number of tillers hill-1 , leaf area index and total dry matter hill-1were obtained in spacing 25 cm × 15 cm fertilized with 75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers + cow dung at 5 t ha-1 .Therefore, 25 cm × 15 cm spacing combined with 75% recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers + cow dung at 5 t ha-1 appeared as the promising practice in transplant Aman rice cv. BRRI dhan39 cultivation in terms of growth parameters*Corresponding author's E-mail: skpaull@gmail.co