Response of Rice to Graded Levels of Nitrogen and Sulphur in Temperate Kashmir

Nitrogen is one of the most important plant nutrients and plays a vital role in plant photosynthesis and biomass production. Increasing panicle numbers in per unit area is the main factor of yield increment as a result of nitrogen application. The present study assesses the Response of rice to graded levels of nitrogen and sulphur in temperate Kashmir. A field experiment titled Response of rice to graded levels of nitrogen and sulphur in temperate Kashmir was conducted at the Crop Research Farm of the Division of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher‑e‑Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir during the Kharif 2021 season. The experimental soil was silt clay loam with neutral pH; it was deficient in available nitrogen, medium in phosphorus, potassium, and organic carbon, but sufficient in sulphur. A factorial Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications was used, comprising two factors: nitrogen at 0, 60, 80 and 120 kg ha⁻¹, and sulphur at 0, 15, 30 and 45 kg ha⁻¹. Significant improvements were observed in dry‑matter accumulation, tiller count, nitrogen and sulphur uptake, agronomic efficiency, grain protein content, and protein productivity across treatments. The highest dry‑matter accumulation and tiller count were recorded under 120 kg N ha⁻¹ and 45 kg S ha⁻¹, though responses at 80 kg N ha⁻¹ were statistically similar. A significant interaction between 80 kg N ha⁻¹ and 30 kg S ha⁻¹ enhanced agronomic efficiency. The study concluded that balanced application of nitrogen and sulphur significantly enhanced rice growth, nutrient uptake, agronomic efficiency, and grain protein content.