Efficacy of organic and inorganic amendments on Sulphur availability in relation to growth and yield of rice in an Alfisol soil

Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was conducted in the department of Agricultural Chemistry and Soil Science, BCKV Nadia, West-Bengal during rabi season to study the efficacy of organic and inorganic amendments on S availability of rice crop in Alfisol soil collected from rice growing lowland cultivated field located in Jhargram Wet Bengal. Six kilograms of air dry processed soils were taken in each of the 10 kg capacity plastic pots. Farm yard manure (@ 7.5 t ha-1) was incorporated 15 days before transplanting of rice seedlings (CV. Shatabdi) as per treatment. Fertilizers- Silicon (50 kg ha-1) and phosphorus (50 kg ha-1) were applied during transplanting of rice seedlings as basal. The experiment was laid out in completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications and eight treatments involving 24 pots in total viz., Si0P0OM0 (Without any amendment), Si1 (Silicon @ 50 kg ha-1), P1 (Phosphorus @ 50 kg ha-1), OM1 (Organic manure @ 7.5 t ha-1), Si1P1 (Silicon @ 50 kg ha-1 + Phosphorus @ 50 kg ha-1), Si1OM1 (Silicon @ 50 kg ha-1 + Organic manure @ 7.5 t ha-1), P1OM1 (Phosphorus @ 50 kg ha-1+ Organic manure @ 7.5 t ha-1) and Si1P1OM1 (Silicon @ 50 kg ha-1 + Phosphorus @ 50 kg ha-1 + Organic manure @ 7.5 t ha-1). Pots were irrigated with water as and when required. The result showed that interaction effect of P, Si and FYM on the plant height (cm) and number of tillers hill-1 was highest under the treatment OM0P1Si1 i.e. 123.2 and 7 compared to control treatment. But the number of panicles hill-1 recorded was the highest under treatment OM0P1Si0 (5.68) in comparison to control. The recorded Grain and straw yield (gpot-1) and total sulphur uptake (mgpot-1) were the highest in the treatment OM1P0Si0 (15.87, 16.46 and 9.46, respectively). The concentration of sulphur in rice grain and straw (mgkg-1) was highest in the treatment OM1P1Si1 (323.3 and 325.1, respectively) comparison to control treatment. Combined application of FYM, silicon and phosphatic fertilizer results in increased S availability, increased grain and straw yields and S uptake by rice in Alfisol soil.