Sulphur, zinc and boron nutrition on yield, economics and nutrient uptake in wet season rice (Oryza sativa L.) under rainfed ecosystem of Odisha, India

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during wet seasons of 2010-11 and 2011-12 at Instructional farm, Department of Agronomy, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India on sandy loam medium land soil with and medium in organic carbon (0.54%) and available N (295 kg ha-1), P (15 kg ha-1) and K (162 kg ha-1) and low in availability of S (8 ppm), Zn (0.33 ppm) and B (0.43ppm).The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with eleven treatments with three replications. The test variety ‘Lalat’ of 125 days duration was raised with different integrated nutrient management practices. Application of recommended fertilizer dose(RFD) @ 80-40-40 kg N-P2O5-K2O ha-1+ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1+B @ 1 kg ha-1 recorded maximum grain and straw yield followed by application of RFD+Zn-EDTA @1kg ha-1+S @ 30 kg ha-1+B @1kg ha-1. The increase in yield and yield attributes was observed with RFD+ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1and RFD+FYM @ 5 t ha-1 over RFD alone or combined application of RFD with S/B/Zn-EDTA. The highest uptake of N (135.5 kg ha-1), P (33.10 kg ha-1), K (178.1 kg ha-1), S (13.30 kg ha-1), Zn (256 g ha-1) and B (177 g ha-1) was recorded with use of RFD + ZnSO4 @ 25 kg ha-1 + B @ 1 kg ha-1followed by RFD + Zn –EDTA @ 1 kg ha-1 + S @ 30 kg ha-1 + B @ 1 kg ha-1. Application of RFD+ZnSO4+B registered higher gross return, net return and B: C ratio than other management practices. Incorporation of FYM with RFD proved its superiority over sole application of RFD or combined application of RFD with S/B/Zn-EDTA in term of yield and economic return. Integration of ZnSO4 @ 25 Kg ha-1 with RFD proved its superiority over RFD+ FYM @ 5 t ha-1, due to the lower cost of commercial grade and more effectiveness in improving yield of rice.