Puddled and zero-till unpuddled transplanted rice are each best suited to different environments – An example from two diverse locations in the Eastern Gangetic Plains of Bangladesh

•We compared puddled transplanted rice (PTR) and zero-till unpuddled transplanted rice (ZT UPTR) in two different environments.•In silt loam soil, the ZT UPTR performed equally or better than PTR.•In sandy loam soil, the ZT UPTR performed slightly inferior to PTR.•ZT UPTR required more water (about 564 mm) for growing than PTR in the second season in the sandy loam soil.•ZT UPTR could be a feasible option for CA system in fine-textured soils, whereas PTR remains more is desirable for lighter, coarser soils.