RESPONSE OF RICE TO BALANCED FERTILIZATION IN TYPIC USTIFLUVENT SOIL

Balanced fertilizer uses in food grain crops including rice is one of the important considerations in providing food security to the burgeoning population and promoting soil quality in sustainable intensive agriculture. Wide spread negative nutrient balance in different production system can be overcome by adopting integrated nutrient management. Field experiments were conducted in farmers holding belonging to Padugai series (Typic Ustifluvents) to investigate the response of rice to balanced fertilization. The treatments employed in the study were T1) Control T2) Farmer‘s practice (125, 62.5, 62.5 kg N, P2O5, K2O), T3) 100% NPKS Zn (120: 38: 38: 20: 5 kg N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn - kharif and 150: 50: 50: 20: 5 kg N, P2O5, K2O, S and Zn - rabi), T4 ) T3 minus N, T5) T3 minus P, T6) T3 minus K, T7) T3 minus PK, T8) T3 minus S, T9) T3 minus Zn, T10 ) T3 minus S Zn, T11) 75% NPK + S + Zn + PM @ 4 t ha-1 and T12) 50% NPK + S + Zn + PM @ 4 t ha-1. The test crop was rice with variety ADT 43 (Kharif) and BPT 5204 (Rabi). The experiment was conducted in RBD design with three replications. The highlight of the outcome was All the treatment caused a significant increase in growth and yield over control. The tallest plant, highest tiller count, LAI, chlorophyll content was observed with treatment involving 75% NPK + S + Zn + PM @4tha-1 and was closely followed by 100% NPKS Zn and 50% NPK + S + Zn + PM @ 4 t ha-1. The highest grain yield (5650, 6080 kg ha-1), straw yield (6910, 7418 kg ha-1), highest grain yield response (2905, 2925 kg ha-1), percent increase in grain (105.8, 116.9) and straw (108. 114.1) in kharif and rabi respectively was realised in 75% NPK + S + Zn + PM @ 4 t ha-1. There was perceptible reduction in growth and yield of rice, where there was omission of single or two nutrients in the fertilizer schedule. To conclude, balanced fertilization with INM strategy not only maximizes the rice yield but also maintains soil health and nutrient savings.