Abstract: Field experiments were conducted at wetland research farm, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore India during Kharif 2002 and 2003 with a view to formulate a suitable crop establishment method and to optimize the nitrogen management practices for hybrid rice ADTRH 1. The experiments were laid out in split plot design replicated thrice with four crop establishment techniques in the main plots and seven N management practices in the sub plots. The results revealed that different crop establishment methods exerted a significant variation on the seed rate requirement and caused significant influence on growth and yield of hybrid rice. Seeding through one out of two holes (M3) registered optimum seed rate of 28.03 and 27.59 kg ha-1 during 2002 and 2003, respectively. Except at the early stage of 40 DAS, there was no significant difference in plant height as influenced by establishment methods. Seeding through all the holes (M1) with higher seed rate recorded significantly higher values of growth characters viz., LAI, tillers m-2, DMP, productive tillers m-2 and grain yield which was comparable with transplanting (M1) and seeding through one out of two holes (M3). The influence of crop establishment methods on yield attributes like panicle length and 1000 grain weight were insignificant. The seeding through one out of three holes (M4) registered significantly higher total number of grains, filled grains panicle-1 and lower sterility percentage as compared to rest of the establishment methods. Application of N based on Soil Test Crop Response (STCR) enhanced significantly the growth and yield attributing characters viz., plant height, LAI, DMP, total tiller m-2, panicle length, productive tillers m-2, total number of grains panicle-1 over the other N management practices and was on par with N application in four splits combined with green manure Sesbania aculeata at the rate of 6.25 t ha-1 application. STCR based N application recorded the highest sterility percentage whereas LCC based N application noticed the lowest sterility percentage. The treatment combination of seeding through one out of two holes with a seed rate of 28 kg ha-1 and N application based on STCR (M3N7) during both the years realize the targeted yield.