*2.3. Sri Management*

Each experimental plot was leveled to allow uniform water ponding. The soil was kept saturated for five days, and then rotavated. The field was harrowed twice at an interval of three days to ensure proper soil-water mixture. Twelve-days-old seedlings were transplanted before the emergence of a third leaf. Care was taken to separate the seedling from the seedbed to avoid damage to the young root. One seedling was planted per hill at a depth of two cm on the 25 cm square grid. Between the transplanting and appearance of panicles, three to five days irrigation cycle was followed, i.e., the field was irrigated for three consecutive days and then left to dry for five days. The goal was to keep the soil moist but not saturated to allow air to get into the soil for improved soil health and root growth. After panicle initiation, irrigation was applied to maintain 20 mm ponding for all three SRI treatments.
