Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF SOURCES OF ZINC AND VARIOUS CROP ESTABLISHMENT METHODS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTES OF RICE (ORYZA SATIVA L.) IN EASTERN U.P.

V.K. Verma, R.N. Meena, Shri Prakash Maurya, Shiv Bahadur, Ambuj Gautam and Maniram

Abstract

A Field experiment was carried out during kharif season in 2013 at Agricultural Research Farm, IAS, BHU, Varanasi, to determine the effect of different sources of zinc and various crop establishment methods on growth, yield and yield attributes of rice (Oryza sativa L.) in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The treatments were comprised three crop establishment methods viz. SRI, wetland transplanting and farmer’s practice and four levels of Zn source viz. 0 kg ha-1, 1 kg ha-1 Zn (Zn- EDTA), 5kg ha-1 Zn (ZnSO4. H2O) and 10 kg ha-1 Zn (ZnSO4.7H2O) in split plot design with three replications and twelve treatment. Significant effects of Zn fertilizer sources and crop establishment methods were observed on rice during experiment in comparison with control. With crop establishment methods, grain and straw yields of rice were 5.19 and 6.09 t ha-1 under SRI, which were 8.97 and 11.18% higher as compared to farmer’s practice. The effect of application of EDTA-cheated Zn resulted in the highest rice grain (5.43) and straw yields (6.15), with respect to control. Highest Zn concentration in grain (35.84 mg kg-1) and straw (134.45 mg kg-1) and its uptake were recorded with effect of EDTA-chelated Zn in on rice as compare to ZnSO4.7H2O and ZnSO4.H2O. Highest total Zn uptake (963.16 g ha-1) in rice was recorded with effect of EDTA-chelated Zn application, followed by ZnSO4.7H2O, ZnSO4.H2O and control.