Agronomic Evaluation of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Hybrids under Agro-Climatic Conditions of Prayagraj, India

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P.). The experimental site is situated at coordinates 25024' 42" N latitude, 810 50' 56" E longitude, and an altitude of 98 meters above mean sea level. It is located on the right side of the Yamuna River, alongside Prayagraj Rewa Road, approximately 5 km away from Prayagraj city. The soil in the experimental plot was sandy loam in texture with a nearly neutral pH of 7.1. The soil analysis revealed the following nutrient levels: organic carbon (0.75%), available nitrogen (269.96 kg/ha), available phosphorus (33.10 kg/ha), and available potassium (336 kg/ha). The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design, with 10 different hybrids, each replicated three times. Among the hybrids tested, hybrid R-305 exhibited significantly higher values for various parameters, including maximum plant height (110.43 cm), plant dry weight (49.45 g/plant), tillers per square meter (366.23), panicle length (29.73 cm), filled grains (250.87), grain yield per hill (31.37 g) and grain yield per hectare (5.52 t), as well as straw yield (10.51 t/ha). However, hybrid R-400 had the highest number of tillers (14.89), while R-311 showed the highest crop growth rate (32.63 g/m2/day). Hybrid R-405 exhibited a higher test weight (25.87 g), R-410 had more unfilled grains (52.36), and R-458 had a longer duration to 50% flowering (52.39) and maturity (87.67). In terms of economic considerations, hybrid R-305 recorded the maximum gross returns (₹ 130,890.40/ha), net returns (₹ 81,844.00/ha), and a B:C ratio of 1.67, indicating its superior profitability compared to other hybrids.