Effect of zinc foliar spray and soil application of mixed bio-fertilizer on growth and yield of kharif rice in red and lateritic soils of West Bengal
Zinc and biofertilizers improve kharif rice
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Authors
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Debdatta Gantait
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Subhajit Banerjee
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Ramyajit Mondal
Department of Agronomy, School of Agriculture, Seacom Skills University, Kendradangal, Birbhum-731236, West Bengal, India
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Saumi Goswami
Keywords:
Rice, , Biofertilizer, Chelated Zinc, Foliar spray, YieldAbstract
The acidic, low-humus, and nutrient-deficient soils of the red and lateritic zone often exhibit poor nutrient retention and micronutrient deficiencies, leading to reduced rice productivity. A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2022 at the Institutional Farm of Seacom Skills University, Birbhum, West Bengal, to evaluate the effect of chelated zinc foliar application at different growth stages in combination with the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) and mixed biofertilizer (Azotobacter, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, and Trichoderma) on the growth, yield, and economics of rice cv. MTU 1010. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatment combinations and three replications. Results showed the tallest plants (122.4 cm) with more dry matter production (760.5 g m-2) and highest root length, root volume and root dry weight in RDF + @ 0.5 % Zn foliar spray at 15 DAB (nursery stage) + Soil application of mixed biofertilizer treated plots. The same treatment also recored the highest number of effective tiller m-2(315), panicle length (26.1 cm), panicle weight (6.17 g), filled grains panicle-1(215.3), test weight (22.57 g) and grain yield (5.95 t ha-1) followed by RDF + @ 0.5% Zn foliar spray at 15 DAT + Soil application of mixed biofertilizer. Yield increase was to the tune of 11.63% over control. The gross returns, net returns and benefit: cost ratio followed the similar trend. Therefore, integrating RDF with 0.5% chelated Zn foliar spray at 15 DAB and mixed biofertilizer application can be recommended as a sustainable nutrient management strategy for enhancing rice productivity and profitability in the red and lateritic soils of West Bengal.
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