Influence of Silicon on Improving Water Deficit Stress Tolerance in Rice Genotypes

This investigation was carried out to study the effect of silicon fertilization on drought conditions in rice. The experiment was laid in a split plot design with three replications. The main plots had four silicon treatments (T1- Control (do not apply any chemical and follows the same package of practices), T2- Spray at 0.6% silicon at tillering, PI, 50% flowering and milky grain stages. Most Important Treatment applications: silicon (ortho Silicilic acid) @ 400 ml in 200 litres/acre water (complete 200 litre water was given), T3- Water Stress only and T4-Silicon + water stress (Water stress to be imposed by withholding irrigation 12 days before flowering and again 10 days after anthesis (Total duration of stress will be 22 days) and sub plots had ten rice genotypes (27P63, HRI-174, IIRRH-131, IIRRH-132, IIRRH-143, JKRH-3333, US-312, US-314, KRH-4 and Sahabhagidhan, TNAU rice entries CB12-588, CB12-132, CB12-122, CB13-132, CB16-118, CB15138, CO51, CO52, CO53, ADT53, ADT54 and BPT 5204 were used as experimental material with all normal cultural practices followed for rice cultivation during Kharif 2020. Application of silicon solubilzer in the form of available silica SiLIXOL (as liquid stabilized orthosilicic acid) was sprayed at tillering, PI, 50% flowering and milky grain stages. Foliar application of SiLIXOL - Stabilized Orthosilicic acid (0.6%) influenced higher morphological parameters, growth parameters like., leaf area and leaf area index at flowering stage and there by increased mean photosynthetic rate and other physiological parameters. Foliar application of SiLIXOL - Stabilized Orthosilicic acid (0.6%) influenced lesser reduction in yield under stress conditions registered by 27P63 (12% reduction) in rice.