Effect of different doses and method of application of nitrogen fertilizers on growth, yield and economics of wet direct seeded rice

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2023 at ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad, to study the effect of different doses and method of app^lication of nitrogen fertilizers on the growth , yield and profitability of wet direct seeded rice. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Seven treatments were included viz., T₁: Neem Coated Urea (NCU) 75% basal + 12.5% NCU each at active tillering (AT) and Panicle Initiation (PI); T₂: NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l^-1 manually at AT and PI; T₃:NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l^-1 by drone at AT and PI; T₄: NCU 75% basal + 2 % NCU manual spray at AT and PI; T₅: Silicon Coated Urea (SCU) 75% basal + 12.5% each at AT and PI; T₆: Cedarwood oil Coated Urea (CCU) 75% basal + 12.5% each at AT and PI and T₇: Control (N- P₂O₅- K₂O: 0-60-40 kg ha^-1). The results revealed that the application of NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l^-1 by drone at AT and PI found to be more productive in terms of plant height (104.1 cm), number of tillers m^-2 (411), number of productive tillers m^-2 (376), dry matter production (11122 kg ha^-1), leaf area (1247.4), panicle weight (5.2 g) and number of filled grains panicle^-1 (159) resulting in higher grain yield (6467 kg ha^-1) and straw yield (7067 kg ha^-1). Economics of various treatments indicated that NCU 75% basal + foliar spray of nano urea @ 4 ml l^-1 by drone at AT and PI stages resulted in maximum B:C ratio (1.75).