Assessment of Biochemical Parameters and Yield Performance in Rice under Different Crop Establishment Methods

Rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for half of the global population, is cultivated using various methods, with transplanting being conventional in many Asian countries. However, challenges such as high-water consumption, labour intensiveness, and environmental degradation have prompted the exploration of alternative methods. In this study, we assessed the impact of various crop establishment methods (CE) i.e. conventional puddled transplanting, direct drill seeding on flatbed (DSR), and direct seeding on raised beds (FIRB) on five stress-tolerant rice varieties (V) i.e. DRR 42, DRR 44, Sukha Dhan 5, Sukha Dhan 6 and Sarjoo 52 by analysing biochemical parameters i.e. total sugar content, starch content, MDA content, SOD content and yield outcomes. Our findings reveal significant variations in biochemical parameters and yield across different CE and V combinations. Notably, FIRB consistently outperformed other CEs, indicating its potential for enhancing stress tolerance and yield. Similarly, DRR 44 exhibited superior performance across most growth stages. Our study highlights the potential advantages of FIRB method in mitigating water wastage and addressing the limitations of conventional transplanting practices.