An Effect of Fertilizer Management Practices on the Yield of T. Aman Rice under Tidal Ecosystem

Abstract

The experiment was carried out at the field laboratory of Department of Agronomy, Patuakhali Science & Technology University, Dumki, during the period from July 2011 to December 2011 to assess the comparative advantages of using Urea Super Granule (USG) and NPK briquette over normal urea, Triple super phosphate and Muriate of Potash and also predict the better performing T. aman rice. The effect of different levels of fertilizer was studied on growth, yield and yield attributing character of T. aman. Six fertilizer Treatments (F0= Control(No urea), F1 = Total urea (150 kg ha-1)during land preparation at available tide free time, F2 = Urea (75 kg ha-1)at 2 split, F3 = Urea (50 kg ha-1)at 3 split, F4 = Urea Super Granule (54 kg N ha-1) at 10 days after transplanting and F5 = NPK briquette ( 42Kg N ha-1 9 Kg P ha-1 12 Kg K ha-1)at 10 days after transplanting of T. aman rice). Besides, TSP, MOP , zinc sulphate and Gypsum were applied @100, 70, 50 and 12 kg ha-1 respectively as basal dose. The experiment was laid out in a Split plot design with 3 replications. The analysis revealed that different fertilizer management practices with a few exceptions significantly influenced the growth, yield and yield attributes of the T. aman rice. Plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1, number of non-effective tillers hill-1, panicle length (cm), number of grains panicle-1, number of sterile spikelet’s panicle-1, nitrogen use efficiency (%), straw yield(t ha-1) and grain yield (t ha-1) were found highest when NPK briquette was applied and all the characters showed lowest value when control. Highest number of effective tillers hill-1 (13.00) and grain yield (6.60 t ha-1) was obtained from NPK briquette and where lowest number of effective tillers hill-1 (5.66) and grain yield (4.48 t ha-1).The NPK briquettes showed higher agronomic efficiency than Prilled urea(PU) and Urea super granule(USG). The small size briquettes (2.4 g) could save 33 kg N ha-1 compared to recommended PU. There was no residual effect of NPK briquettes on soil chemical properties.The NPK briquettes were found beneficial to the farmers in tidal ecosystem.