Influence of nitrogen and silicon on the growth and yield of black scented rice cultivar ‘Chakhao Poireiton’

Lodging is a common issue in the black rice cultivar Chakhao Poreiton due to height. So, the interactive effects of nitrogen (N) and silicon on black scented rice cultivars remain inadequately studied. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2024 at the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, to study the influence of N and silicon (Si) on the growth and yield of the black scented rice cultivar ‘Chakhao Poireiton’. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design consisting of four N levels, viz., 75, 100, 125 and 150 % of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) as the main factor and four Si levels, viz., 0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 % as sub-factors, replicated thrice, resulting in 16 treatment combinations. The results showed that highest N level (150 % RDN) and Si (1.5 % Si) produced the best results individually and in combination where the combined application of 150 % RDN + 1.5 % Si recorded significantly highest in plant height (PH) (174.01 cm), number of tillers (NT) (11.61), dry matter (DM) accumulation (56.77), growth rates, maximum grain yield (GY) (32.22 q ha-1), straw yield (SY) (36.21 q ha-1) and harvest index (HI) (47.01 %) than other treatments. Quality traits, such as grain protein (13.02 %) and carbohydrate (74.65 %) content were also significantly improved with higher N-Si levels. In comparison, anthocyanin content showed a slight but non-significant increase at 150 % RDN + 1.5 % Si (81.65 mg 100 g-1). These findings highlight a synergistic effect, where N enhanced biomass and yield, while Si improved structural strength, stress tolerance and nutrient use efficiency. Thus, the combined application of 150 % RDN and 1.5 % Si proved to be an effective strategy for optimising the growth, yield and quality of black scented rice.