Consequence of Sesbania as brown manure along with foliar spray of iron and zinc sulphate on production potential of direct-seed rice (Oryza sativa) in calcareous soil

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the rainy (kharif) season of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, to introduce the foliar spray of micro-nutrients along with Sesbania based brown manuring (BM) to enhance productivity of dry direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 6 treatments and 4 replications. The treatments included foliar spray of FeSO₄ (1%) and ZnSO₄ (0.5%) alone and in combination with Sesbania brown manuring. The Sesbania sown broadcast on the same day along with rice for brown manuring (BM) at the seed rate of 40 kg/ ha that, BM with Sesbania treatments resulted in higher values of yield characters and yield than non-BM treatments. The treatment involving 2 foliar sprays of FeSO₄ and ZnSO₄ along with BM significantly increased the yield attributes like panicles/m2 , grains/panicles, and grain and straw yields of rice over the other treatment except rice + BM. This treatment also recorded the maximum uptake of nutrients, viz, N,P,K,Fe and Zn. The mmaximum benefit: cost ratio was also recorded under this treatment. The maximum weed dry weight was recorded with treatment rice alone and the lowest with treatment rice + FeSO₄ @ 1% + ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% at tillering and panicle initation + BM.