SEEDTAMILNADU

Land Requirements :

Select fields in which paddy crop was not taken in the previous season, unless the variety grown was the same and the field approved by the certification agency of varietal purity. In addition, the selected plots should be beveled and the soil preferably clay loam with a pH value 6.5.

Isolation Requirements :

Paddy is mainly a self-pollinated crop, through some cross-pollination does occur. The extent of natural cross-pollination varies from 0.1 to 4.0 percent. For pure seed production the seed fields must be isolated atleast by three meters from other fields of paddy.

1.Land Selection :

Select land on which paddy nursery, or paddy crop, was not grown in the previous year. This is necessary to avoid verietal admixtures due to volunteer plants in the nursery itself.

2.Sowing time :

Sowing of late maturing varieties in the nursery should be done from 25th may to 10th June and that of early duration varieties from 10th to 25th June

3. Nursery bed preparation :

The soil should be well pulverized by repeated dry ploughing.

Apply 50 kg. of FYM. or Compost/cent of Nursery uniformly.

Then flood the nursery plot, puddle and leave it for two days to set with a thin layer of water.

Apply DAP @ 2 kg. /cent of nursery and Puddle again before sowing.

Prepare raised beds measuring 6 X 1.50m with 0.5m wide channels all around to facilitate drainage. Loose soil from the channel is taken out to a depth of 20cm and thrown on either side of the bed, thus slightly raising the bed.

Allow 3 to 5cm of water to stand in the bed.

5. Nursering beds manuring :

Apply 450 grammes superphosphate per bed, (9 square metre area) at the time of final preparation of the beds, and mix them throughly with the soil. In areas where khaira disease is prevalent, spray zinc sulphate+lime solution at the rate of 5kg zinc sulphate+2.5kg lime, dissolved in 1000litres of water per hectare of nursery area, 10 days after sowing.A second spray on the twentieth day may also be done, if necessary.

7. Seed rate :

500 to 600 grammes per bed (9 sq.metre) for coarse varieties (30 to 35 kg per hectare)

400 to 500 grammes per bed (9 sq.metre) for fine varieties (25 to 30 kg per hectare).

8. Method of sowing :

The seed may be broadcasted as such, or after sprouting in puddled beds. Seed may be sprouted by loosely packing in gunny bags and soaking them in water for 16 to 20 hours, after which these are removed from the water receptacle and the water allowed to drain completely.The seed bags are kept damp by covering them with wet gunnies bags to ensure optimum condition for germination.Seeds so soaked sprout 16 to 20 hours after soaking.

9. After-care :

Aftre-care of nursery for three to four days, to prevent bird damage, is necessary. Keep the bed with the water all through. Drain of excess water, if any, due to heavy rains. Keep the nursery free of weeds.

10. Seedlings uprooting :

Seedlings are ready for transplating after three to four weeks of sowing, depending upon the variety. Generally for every one month's duration of the crop, seedlings are retained in the nursery for one week. Likewise three months crop for three weeks, four months crop for four weeks and so on. Uproot the seedlings gently. Discard weak, diseased, or those seedlings differing in any way from the usual characteristic seedlings of the variety.

1. Preparation of land for transplanting

Land is ploughed repeatedly(two to three times) to obtain a fine tilth and a soft soil with fairly impervious subsoil,So that the transplanted seedlings establish quickly and the plant nutrients are not washed down too low.A ploughed field should be keptfollded for a week or ten days before transplanting ,if possible.

2.Fertilisation.

Apply 100 to 120 Kg of nitrogen,50 to 60 Kg of phosphorus and 50 to 60 Kg of Potash per hectare,or follow fertilizer recommendations based on soil tests. Apply the whole of the phosphorus and potash and one-fourth of nitrogen just before the final puddling. Apply the remaining nitrogen, one-half at mid tillering and the other half at panicle initiation stage.Foliar spray with two percent urea solution at active tillering helps to boost up yields.If zinc is deficient,apply 15 kg zinc sulphate per hectare along with other fertilizer just before puddling,or spray 5 kg zinc sulphate + 2.5kg calcium hydroxide in 1000 litres of water per hectare.

3.Method of Transplating.

Transplant two to three seedings per hill 2-3 cm deep.The seeding should be of apporpriate age and not too old

4 .Spacing

Shy Tillering varieties 10 x 10 cm

Other Varieties 20 x 15 cm

Long duration varieties 20 x 20 cm or 30 x 20 cm

5.Water management

Allow 2.5 to 5 cm of water within a day of transplanting.Normally ,maintain this water level till hard dough stage ,or haversting,Irrigation should be given whenever necessary

6.Weed Control.

Weed out the polts twice or thrice as needed before heading.Weed control with the use of herbicdes has been successful.The following schedule of chemical weed control gives Satisfactory results.)

(a) Use MCPA or 2-4D(1 kg acting ingredient in 150 to 250 litres water per hectare) for spray control of broad-leaved weeds.This is normally done 20 to 25 days after transplanting.(b) Use propanil (Stam F-34,3 kg acting ingredient in 300 to 400 litres water per hectare, for control of grasses. This spray is usually done 10 to 12 days after transplating, when the grasses are at two to three leaf stage.

Stem Borer : Follow IPM methods.

1.Grow intercrop to invite natural enemies into the crop eco system.2.Monitor the crop eco system regularly to know the pest and the defendar ratio.When the ratio goes and unbalanced try to balance it by augumenting the available natural enemy population.This can be done by introduction of lab produced natural enemies into the crop eco system or providing necessary infra structure in the crop eco system itself to increase the no. of natural enemies available in the system.There is no need for any chemical spray at any stage.

Brown Plant Hopper :

Keep away all the Chemical Pesticides .This is a pesticide indiused Pest. Give wider spasing while planting in those areas where it is endamic. Apply Neem Cake to the main field at 200Kg. /Ha.Drain the water in the fields where this pest in noticed.Watch for its Natural Enimies. Promote the Natural Enimies to multiply and live in the Crop Ecosystem.

Gundhi Bug :

Spray 5% Neen Kernal extrct towice .One at Flowering and another at Milky Stage.0.5% Garlick Extract also controls this pest effectively.

1. Blast.

Spray 0.2% Pseudomonas sp.at Boot leaf and at Flowering .Apply Neem Cake to the Main Field.Neem oil 5% Spray can also be done .

5. Seedling blight and foot rot :

Treat the seeds with Pseuddomonas sp.at 2 grammes per kg of seed.Wet Seed treatment will give effective control.

Roguing :

Roguing of off-type plants should be done once prior to flowering and then at flowering and maturity. The major roguing should be done just after flowering, and the final when fields are near maturity.

Rogue out wild rice plants, plants infested by stem borers and diseased plants e.g., plants affected by tungro virus and false smut from time to time as required.

Harvesting and Threshing :

It is importent to harvest the crop when the seed is ripe. At this stage the moisture content varies between 17 and 23 percent. Plants are cut by hand with a sickle. The crop, after harvesting, is left in the field for two to three days. Seeds are commonly threshed by hand fail on a threshing floor. Seeds are winnowed after threshing to remove chaff, dust, empty husks and light grains.

The seed crop can also be combined directly in the field. The best time to combine is when the moisture content is below 18 percent.

After winnowing/combining the seed must be dried to 13 percent moisture content for storage.

Precautions for Harvesting and Threshing of paddy seed

Do's

1. Start harvesting when grains are hard and yellow.

2. Moisture percentage in the grain at the time of harvesting should be less then 23 percent, For combine harvesting, moisture percentage should be 18 percent, or lower.

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3. When paddy is hervested by hand it gets a chance to get dried before threshing. In the case of combine harvesting, a sizeable percentage of green kernels are threshed along with mature kernels. If paddy harvested with a combine harvester is kept in gunny bags, rotting of seed will invariably start. Therefore, it is very necessary that the paddy harvested with combine harvesters must be dried untill moisture percentage comes down to 13 percent, or lower. Similarly, the paddy harvested by hand should also be dried to 13 percent or below moisture content. At the time of sowing the moisture in the seed grain should never exceed 13 percent and there should be no green kernels.

4. If paddy is being harvested or being threshed, with a combine harvester, either in a direct combine from the field or using a combine as stationary thresher, the name of the variety should be indicated on the body of the combine harvester. If the variety is to be changed, the combine harvester must be very thoroughly cleaned.

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5. Use tarpaulin or pukka (cemented) floor for drying.

6. Paddy seed should be stacked in a cool and dry place, away from walls, and on wooden racks.

7. Mark the bag with the name of the variety, so that there is no chance mixing and confusion.

Dont's

1. Do not start harvesting at moisture percentage more than 18 percent.2. After harvesting, do not leave the harvested crop on the wet ground. 3. While combine harvesting, do not use the combine harvester for another variety, unless it has been thoroughly cleaned.4. Do not store without proper drying.5. Do not dry on wet ground.6. Do not store in damp place.7. Do not mix it with another variety, and uncertified portion of same variety.