Transcript Introduction: •

Introduction:
• System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method involves modified
management practices like transplanting 15 days old seedlings at
wider spacing, mechanical weeding and intermittent irrigation.
Among these practices, using young seedlings is most important.
• In conventional wet bed nursery, seedlings do not attain the
expected15 to 20 cm height in 15 days of growth due to crowding
of seedlings and poor nursery management.
• Modified Rice Mat Nursery practice is developed for producing
robust, healthy rice seedlings suitable for transplantation in 15
days.
Seed Bed Preparation:
• Seed beds are prepared in a place having water facility and no
trespassing animal.
• Shallow raised beds are prepared to a height of 5 cm, with 1.2
m width and convenient length.
• 100 square meter mat nursery is required to produce seedlings
sufficient for planting one hectare rice field.
• Medium: Native fertile field soil +
well decomposed FYM @ 1 kg
FYM mixed with the soil required
for 1 Square Meter nursery bed as
growth medium
Raised Bed Preparation
Seed Sowing:
• Pre-germinated seeds should be used at the rate of 5-8
kg/hectare.
• 50 gm dry seed or 100 gm wet seeds should be sown per
square meter of the seedbed.
• The seeds should be properly covered with medium, gently
pressed with hand and sprinkled with water.
• The seed frame should be removed carefully after sowing of
seed on raised beds.
Seed Sowing:
Raised Bed Preparation
Removal of Frame
Sowing sprouted Seed
Fertigation:
• The medium should be mixed with 20 to 25 gm/m2 of Di-ammonium
Phosphate (DAP) before sowing.
• The mat nursery should be sprinkled with water 2-3 times a day up
to 5 days with the help of rose-can.
• After 5th day, water can allow to wet in between the mat nursery
without submerging the area.
• Drenching of 0.5% urea solution (50 gm in 10 lit of water) on 9th day
after sowing with rose can.
• Water should be drained two days prior to transportation of
seedling mats to the main field for transplanting.
Modified Rice Mat Nursery
Watering Seed beds soon after Sowing
Watering Seed beds up to 5th Day
Seedlings Ready for Transplanting
Lifting Seedlings
Advantages of Rice Mat Nursery
• Production of robust seedlings with 18-20 cm height and 4-5
leaves in 15 days.
• Modified rice mat nursery reduces the cost of seedling
production as it reduces the cost on seeds by 85- 90%, fertilizer
by 90%, labor by 34% and water use by 55%.
• Production cost of seedlings for 1 hectare of field is around
Rs.1600 which represents a saving of 50% in contrast to
conventional wet bed nursery.
• Seedlings can be produced with limited land and water
resources.