**3.2 Non puddled/unpuddled transplanted rice**

In case of unpuddled transplanting, the field is made ready for transplanting by a single pass strip tillage (or without tillage) followed by inundation of the field for nearly 2 days to make the land sufficiently soft for transplanting [24]. Thus, in this process the travail of puddling is omitted while the advantages of transplanting are obtained. It saves 31–76% of fuel, 25–26% of water [25] and time required for field preparation. Problems of proper establishment of the seedlings at the initial stage of germination and infestation of diseases, pest and weeds are few threats to the rice crop established by this method. Thus, growing rice by this method requires proper care and vigilance. Hossain *et al*. [26] reported greater yield (5.47 t ha−1) and lesser fuel consumption (4.38 l ha−1) in unpuddled transplanted rice as compared to the puddled transplanted rice. However, similar rice yield under puddled transplanted rice and unpuddled transplanted rice under zero tilled condition was reported in the Eastern gangetic plains [27]. Also, there was a trend of increasing grain yield in zero tilled unpuddled transplanted rice over that of puddled transplanted rice in the


#### **Table 1.**

*A study showing economics of TPR and DSR in Haryana (Rs ha−1).*

second season [28]. The practice of transplanting on unpuddled soil, suitable for low land areas, is a potential technology for those farmers who are skeptical about direct-seeded rice to avoid adverse effect of puddling on succeeding wheat crop.
