Effect of zinc fertilization on growth, yield and micronutrients content and uptake by paddy

Abstract

Experimentation at twenty farmer’s field of tribal area of Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh during Kharif 2015-16 considering zinc variability in soil as low, medium and high, and Zn levels through ZnSO4 7H2O in a RBD. The soils of selected sites wer clayey, alkaline in pH, organic carbon varied from less to marginal and varied in available Zn from 0.12 to 2.17 mg kg-1. The rice MTU-1010 seed was sown @ 80 kg ha-1 with recommended practices and harvested at maturity (120 DAS). Significant effects were noted on growth and yield components yield content and uptake by rice: plant height in S-12 (36.73 cm), no. of tillers/ hill (9.79) in S-17, no. grains/panicle varied from 53.00 (S-6) and to 71.33 (S-7) and test weight (24.25 g) in soil S-7. Yield was recorded S-9 (4.75 t/ha) which was at par with S-14 (4.47 t ha-1). Highest tillers per hill-1 (8.15) were noted with basal application @ 8 kg Zn ha-1 but similar with (8.03) just 6 kg and low with no zinc. It had also increased the yield (3.57 t ha-1) but at par with 6.0 kg Zn ha-1 (3.44 t ha-1). Zinc content and its uptake varied and recorded more in 8.0 kg Zn ha-1 but equal to 6.kg Zn ha-1.