Silicon nutrition for rice in iron toxic laterite soils of Kollam district
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Date
2017
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Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani
Abstract
The study entitled “Silicon nutrition for rice in iron toxic laterite soils of Kollam district” was carried out at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, to assess the possibility of partially substituting fine silica with alternate silicon sources and to find out the effect of these sources on growth and productivity of rice for formulating a cost effective nutrient package for rice in iron toxic laterite soils. The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with seven treatments and three replications, using rice variety Uma, during Virippu, 2016 at farmer’s field in Vilakkudy panchayath, Kollam district. The treatments consisted of four sources of silicon viz. fine silica, rock dust, rice husk ash and potassium silicate at varying levels. The treatments were: T1- fine silica @ 100 kg ha-1, T2 - fine silica @ 75 kg ha-1+ rock dust @ 25 kg ha-1, T3 - fine silica @ 75 kg ha-1+ foliar application of potassium silicate at maximum tillering stage @ 0.5%, T4 -fine silica @ 50 kg ha-1 + rock dust @ 25 kg ha-1 + foliar application of potassium silicate at maximum tillering stage @ 0.5%, T5 - fine silica @ 75 kg ha-1 + rice husk ash @ 125 kg ha-1, T6 - fine silica @ 50 kg ha-1 + rice husk ash @ 250 kg ha-1, T7 - fine silica @ 50 kg ha-1 + rice husk ash @ 125 kg ha-1 + foliar application of potassium silicate at maximum tillering stage @ 0.5%. All the treatments were given a uniform dose of lime @ 150 kg ha-1, farm yard manure @ 5 t ha-1 and NPK @ 90:45:120 kg ha-1. The result of the investigation are summarised below. Application of silicon significantly influenced the growth attributes like plant height at panicle initiation stage (PI) and at harvest and the number of tillers m-2 at maximum tillering, PI and at harvest with T6 (fine silica @ 50 kg ha-1 + rice husk ash @ 250 kg ha-1) resulting in the highest value. With respect to dry matter production (DMP) also, at harvest stage T6 showed the highest value. At PI stage T7 produced the highest DMP; however it was on par with T6 and T3. Yield attributing characters like productive tillers m-2, thousand grain weight and number of filled grains panicle-1 were also significantly influenced by the silicon nutrition, T6 resulting the highest values. Sterility percentage was the lowest in T6 and it was on a par with T5 and T7. Silicon application significantly influenced grain yield, straw yield, harvest index, net income and B:C ratio. The treatment T6 produced the highest grain yield (6.14 t ha-1), net income (₹ 72,503 ha-1) and B:C ratio (1.78) and it was significantly superior to all the other treatments. Treatments T6 and T7 were on a par and superior to the other treatments with respect to straw yield and harvest index. Soil physico-chemical properties such as soil texture and electrical conductivity were not significantly influenced by silicon application, but there was an improvement in soil reaction (pH) compared to the initial status. Significant increase in the soil organic carbon status was noticed in the treatments receiving rice husk ash (T6, T5, T7). Considering the growth and yield parameters as well as grain yield, net income and B:C ratio, application of fine silica @ 50 kg ha-1 + rice husk ash @ 250 kg ha-1 (T6) was found to be cost effective package for rice in iron toxic laterite soils, along with the present KAU Package of Practices recommendation of lime @ 150 kg ha-1 + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 + NPK @ 90:45:120 kg ha-1.
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