Introduction

1. Introduction • Sandy loam soils with good tilth is more suitable for dry soil type of nursery. • Raised beds with 1 to 1.5 m width and suitable length according to slope are made. • Seeds are mixed with sand, fine powdered decomposed farm yard manure and then sown directly on the dry beds. • Dry bed nursery is helpful in time of delayed turn of canal water.

2. Field management Land Preparation • Land is ploughed in summer to save water requirement for initial preparation of land. • Flood the field land 1 or 2 days before ploughing and allow the water to soak in the sub-soil. Land preparation for dry nursery of rice

3. Seed Selection Use of quality seeds in Rice is an important factor to raise healthy seedlings and get better crop. • Quality of Seed • Seed should be matured, well developed, plumpy, free from other seeds, free from signs of age or bad storage and with high germinating capacity. • Seed should be treated with fungicides before sowing. Selection of better quality seeds for nursery

4. Seed Rate and Treatments Seed Rate • 40 kg/ha for coarse grain varieties, • 35 kg/ha for medium fine grain varieties, • 30kg /ha for fine grain varieties • 20 kg/ha for hybrids varieties. Wet seed treatment with fungicide is not advisable in dry rice nursery Seed Treatment • Treat Bavistin/Thiram/Trycyclozole fungicide @ 2 gm/kg of seeds, 24 hours before sowing. • Treat Azospirillum bio-fertilizer @ 600gm per ha of seeds. Rice seed treated with Thiram fungicide

5. Nursery Bed Preparation and Sowing • Raised beds, 120 cm wide, 15 cm high and convenient length should be prepared in a fine tilth field for Rice Nursery. • Drainage can be facilitated by 0.5 meter wide channel around the raised bed. • Seeds treated fungicide and biofertilizer should be sown in the raised bed uniformly. Seed bed for dry rice nursery

6. Water Management • Dry nursery beds should be irrigated once in 2 to 3 days depending on the nature of soil. • Water requirement of rice seedlings varies on basis of soil and climatic conditions. • Proper scheduling of irrigation determines the growth of rice seedlings and the number of days required before transplanting. Irrigation Method in dry rice nursery

7. Nutrient Management • Rice Nursery beds should be applied with FYM or compost @ 2 kg / Square feet areas. • 15 gm Nitrogen per square feet area of bed is applied for rapid growth of seedling. Soil with low fertility should be provided with a dose of 40 kg Di-ammonium phosphate( DAP) Use of Chemical fertilizers in dry rice nursery

8. Weed Management • Plough the plot in Summer to reduces weed infestation in rainy season. • Herbicides should not be used in dry rice nursery. • Weeds should be removed through hand weeding. First weeding on 15 - 20 days after sowing. Do not use herbicides in dry rice nursery Hand weeding in dry rice nursery

9. Age of Seedlings • Age of seedling at the time of uprooting is a crucial factor in rice production as it affects establishment of the seedlings in the field. • Seedling at four leaf stage should be uprooted can establish easily and produce more tillers and more yield. • Optimum age of uprooting the seedling in dry rice nursery is 18 to 22 days for Short duration varieties, 25 to 30 days for Medium duration varieties and 35 to 40 days for Long duration varieties.