97 r r ABSTRACT A field experiment was carried out to determine the influence of sowing dates and nitrogen (N) levels on different growth and physiological parameters of scented rice cv. Pusa Sugandh-3. Significant variation in terms of phenological stages and growing degree days (GDDs) accumulation on rice crop was recorded due to different sowing dates and nitrogen levels. The earlier sown crop took more number of days and GDDs to reach various phenological stages as compared to late sown crop. Among the nitrogen levels, 80 and 60 kg N ha -1 took significantly more number of days and GDDs to reach different phenological stages. The 15th standard meteorological week (SMW) and 16th SMW sown crop recorded significantly higher number of primary and secondary tillers while tertiary tillers were significantly higher for 18th SMW crop. Pertaining to dry matter partitioning among different levels of nitrogen, significantly more photosynthates were translocated to leaves as well as stem from 45 DAT to harvest at the nitrogen level of 80 kg ha -1 and least in control. Also, more photosynthates were translocated to panicle for 80 kg N ha -1 and least for the control. At harvest significantly higher nitrogen uptake was recorded for the 15 th SMW (106.86 kg N ha -1 ) and 16th SMW (103.64 kg N ha -1 ) sowing. Nitrogen uptake was significantly higher for 80 and 60 kg N ha -1 . Key words: Dry matter partitioning, nitrogen uptake, phenology, Pusa Sugandh-3, sowing date, tiller count Rice (Oryza sativa L.), the single most important crop, is the primary food source for more than one third of the global population (Hasamuzzaman et al. 2009) and grown in 11 per cent of the world's cultivated area (Islam et al. 2009). The crop has wide physiological adaptation and is grown successfully in tropics, subtropics and temperate regions up to 2000 m above mean sea level (Okon et al. 1998). It has the capacity to grow under continuous flooded condition as well as mild to moderate water deficit stress (Kumar et al. 2016, 2017). It is endowed with amazing genetic diversity including more than one hundred thousand landraces and improved cultivars maintained in the germplasm collections spread world over. A unique sub-group that has distinguished itself as a result of natural and human selection, which found wider acceptance all over the world as a speciality rice is called ''scented rice''. For utilization of solar radiation effectively and storage of ensuing photosynthate (assimilate), plants need a transport system to transfer assimilate from areas of synthesis to areas of consumption. Assimilate produced by green tissue is transferred all over the plant for growth, development, storage and cell maintenance. This division of assimilate among these processes, termed as partitioning, not only affects productivity but also survival of plant (Gardener et al. 2010). The duration of plant growth has two conspicuously different features, i.e., phasic and morphological development. Phasic development comprises alteration in stages of Oryza Vol. 54 No. 1, 2017 (97-106) SHORT COMMUNICATION Effect of varying sowing dates and nitrogen levels on growth and physiology of scented rice Sheeraz Ahmad Wani 1 *, Sameera Qayoom 1 , Mohammad Amin Bhat 2 , Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh 1 , Tariq Ahmad Bhat 1 and Sharbat Hussain 1 1 Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar-190025, J&K, India 2 CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar- 125004, Haryana, India *Corresponding author e-mail: sheerazwani2@gmail.com Received : 16 December 2016 Accepted : 14 May 2017 Published : 19 May 2017