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Dapog Method of Nursery

• Followed in Philippines
• Introduced in India (adopted by some farmers in Andhra Pradesh)
• It is a portable paddy nursery. Paddy seed­ling can be raised within 2 weeks without affecting its quality.
• Area - 40 - 50 sq. m to cover one hectare of land.

Procedure:

• Preparation of the raised beds is similar to wet bed nursery.

• Banana leaves with mid ribs removed; empty cement/fertilizer bags or polythene (Plastic) sheets are used to cover the surface of seed bed to prevent the roots of seedlings from coming in contact with the soil. Fertilizer is not needed since the seed­lings are nourished by food in the seed. Concrete floors are often used as base for dapog seedlings but frequent watering is needed on cemented base.

Sequence of seedbed preparation
	Sprinkling of water
Paddy seedlings raised through Dapog method

• A wall is made of strips of banana sheathes 2 to 3 inches high in the four sides of the bed. The wall keeps the seeds in place after they are sown on the bed.
• Pre-germinated seeds are sown at the rate of 1 kg/m² uniformly over the seed bed. Water is splashed on the germinating seeds and the seeds are pressed down slightly by hand or light wooden plank in the morning and afternoon for 3 to 6 days. This will prevent the exposure of roots to the air. By pressing, the germinated seedling maintains touch with each other and also with the ground.

For 3 to 4 days the seedlings should be kept moist by frequent sprinkling of water.

• Within a couple of days (10-14 days) 10 to 12 cm high seedlings are available. If the growth of the seedlings is not satisfactory, 1% urea solution may be applied. The seedlings are ready for transplanting 10 to 14 days after sowing regardless of duration of the variety.

Dapog seedlings are not pulled. The whole seedling mass with matted roots below can simply be rolled and carried to the field where the seedlings are easily separated and transplanted

 

Advantages:

• Time in the seed bed is greatly reduced.
• Area required for seed bed is reduced.
• More choices of location of seed bed.
• Seedlings do not suffer from root or stem injury.
• Pul1ing of seedlings is eliminated.
• Seeds will not be carried away by rain.

Disadvantages:

• The seed­lings are delicate, thin and slender.
• If the seedlings are allowed to remain in the bed they may fade away and die after 3-4 weeks.
• Number of seedlings per hill can not be controlled easily.

 Age of Seedlings:

• 21-25 days old seedlings (having 3 to 4 leaves)
• The dapog seedlings are transplanted even at 10-15 days age.
• Research Works further revealed that for longer duration varieties (beyond 140 days old) seedlings 35 to 40 days old (with 5 to- 6 leaves) can be used without any adverse effect on yield.
• At places where the planting has been late, very close planting of old seedlings (60-70 days) of late varieties may also be remunerative because at this time, it is no use expecting any contribution from secondary tillers.
• At places where crops are to be transplanted in lands having 20 to 30 cm deep water, planting of double transplanted seedlings prove to be remunerative.
• In regions (Western U.P. and Punjab) where the tem­perature gets cool by the middle of October, late transplanting with young seedlings (25 days old) do not give as much yield as that with older (35-40 days) seedlings.

Number of Seedlings per Hill :

• Under normal conditions- 2-3 seedlings per hill
• Under adverse conditions (late planting, planting of seedlings in 20-30 cm deep water or planting in alkaline and saline soils) close planting of greater number of seedlings per hill showed advantage.

Plant Spacing in Relation to Variety, Season of Plant­ing and Soil Fertility :

• Under poor fertility condition - Narrow spacing between hills
• Under high fertility condition - Wider spacing between hills (depends on plant type, weather condition)  

Recommendations:

• Wider spacing - wet season

           High tillering, tall, leafy and lodging susceptible varieties

• Narrow spacing - dry season.

           Low tillering, short and lodging resistant varieties.

• Early varieties - 15 x15 cm or 15x10 cm

           Medium and late varieties - 20x10 cm or 20 x l5 cm

At many places very close planting (a) increases population of brown plant hoppers per unit area and also (b) causes difficulty in directing the insecticidal sprays to the basal parts of rice stem