Performance of different sources of nitrogen under different establishment methods of rice (Oryza sativa

Currently, conventional fertilizers are used in large quantities to deliver nutrients to crops in India. It may result in soil health decline and fertilizer waste. Different techniques, such as nano fertilizers, are required to address this issue. Therefore, a field experiment was laid out in a farmer's field in the Chidambaram block during the kuruvai season of 2021-22 to determine the "Performance of different sources of nitrogen under different establishment methods of rice." The experiment was carried out in a split-plot design, which included three methods of crop establishment viz., mechanical transplanting, the system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional transplanting in the main plot, and five nitrogen management methods viz., 100% RDN through urea, 100% RDN through vermicompost, 50% RDN through urea+50% RDN through nano urea, 50% RDN through vermicompost + 50% RDN through nano urea, and 100% RDN through nano urea in sub-plot replicated thrice. The experiment findings demonstrated that among the establishment techniques and nitrogen management practices tested, the system of rice intensification and application of 50% inorganic nitrogen in combination with 50% nano nitrogen was the most productive in terms of plant height (90.29 ,105.39 cm), number of tillers/m2 (337.39, 403.15), dry matter production (10135, 12331 kg/ha) and crop growth rate (10.35, 12.41 g/m2/day) resulting in higher grain (4794, 5972 kg/ha) and straw yield (7216, 8692 kg/ha). Nano fertilizer application promoted the growth and development activity in rice and demonstrated the potential to improve crop production and plant nutrition.