Response of zinc nutrition on growth and yield of direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The investigation on “Response of direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) to zinc nutrition in sub-montane zone of Maharashtra during kharif 2021. The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications and eleven treatments replicated thrice. The result revealed that application of ZnSO4 through soil + foliar spray of 0.2% EDTA Zn along with RDF and Vermicompost was significantly superior and at par with soil application of ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1+ foliar application of 0.1% EDTA Zn with RDF and Vermicompost [T10] and soil application of ZnSO4 @ 10 kg ha-1 + foliar application of 0.2% EDTA Zn with RDF and Vermicompost [T9] in respect of yield attributing characters viz., number of panicles m-2, panicle length plant-1 (cm), panicle weight plant-1 (g), number of spikelets and filled grains panicle-1 and grain weight plant-1 (g). Whereas, (RDF + Vermicompost) + soil application of ZnSO4 @ 10 kg ha-1 + foliar application of 0.1% EDTA Zn [T8] was also found at par with it might be due to combined method of zinc application except in terms of length and weight of panicles because of low level of zinc nutrition. However, 1000- grains weight (g) and harvest index failed to reach the level of significance. Grain yield (60.53 q ha-1), straw yield (69.71 q ha-1) and biological yield (130.24 q ha-1) were significantly maximum when ZnSO4 at rate 20 kg ha-1 was applied through soil + 0.2% EDTA Zn through foliar spray with RDF and Vermicompost [T11], which was at par with soil application of ZnSO4 @ 20 kg ha-1+ foliar application of 0.1% EDTA Zn with RDF and Vermicompost [T10] (59.94 q ha-1, 69.11 q ha-1) and (129.05 q ha-1), respectively. The combined method of Zn application i.e. soil + foliar with high level of zinc nutrition effective method to maintain zinc level in zinc deficient soil and increase the yield of DSR.