A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2008 at the Agronomy Research Farm of ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region Barapani, Meghalaya with the objectives (i) to work out the suitable crop establishment technique, and (ii) to study the effect of various nutrient management practices on the rice grown under different crop establishment techniques. The farm is situated at a latitude of 25�41' N and longitude of 91�54' E and an elevation of 950 m above the mean sea level. Treatment comprised of three crop establishment techniques viz. System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Conventional Rice Culture (CRC) while 5 nutrient management practices viz. recommended NPK (80: 60: 40 N, P?O?, K?Okg/ha), FYM 10 t/ha, 50% recommended NPK + FYM 10 t/ha, recommended NPK + FYM 5 t/ha and control were arranged in sub plots. The treatments were tested in Split Plot Design with three replications and Sahsarang-1 was used as a test variety. The experimental results revealed that SRI plants recorded higher growth and developmental parameters, viz. plant height, number of tillers, number of leaves, dry matter production and root growth. Similarly, all the yield attributing parameters, viz. panicle length, number of panicles per hill, number of grains per panicle, number of filled grains per panicle and test weight were higher with SRI establishment technique. However, the number of panicles/m2 was higher with ICM establishment technique as compared to SRI. Maximum grain and straw yield being at par with SRI was recorded with rCM, and lowest was with CRC. Among the nutrient management practices, combined application of recommended NPK + FYM 5 t/ha recorded the highest value of all the growth and yield attributing parameters, followed by 50% recommended NPK + FYM 10 t/ha. Lowest value was observed with control. Highest NPK uptake, being at par with ICM was recorded with SRI. The lowest nutrient was recorded with eRC. NPK uptake was higher with combined application of inorganic fertilizer and organic manure and lowest was observed with control. The crop establishment techniques and nutrient management practices were found to influence residual nutrient status of soil. Available soil NPK was higher with application of recommended NPK and incorporation of FYM 5 t/ha. SRI technique of establishment recorded maximum available soil NPK status.