Determining the Effect of Sulphur and Boron on Growth and Yield of Boro Rice in Calcareous Soil of Bangladesh

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at the field laboratory of Department of Crop Science and Technology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi- 6205, Bangladesh during the Rabi season from November 2015 to April 2016 to study the effect of Sulphur (S) and Boron (B) on growth and yield performance of Boro rice (cv. BRRI dhan-28). The experimental area belongs to High Ganges River Floodplain under Agro-Ecological Zone-11 (AEZ-11). The initial field soil was medium fertile, silty clay loam and slightly alkaline in texture having pH 8.4, 1.25% organic matter, 0.10% total N, 16.2 ppm available P, 12.5 ppm available S, 0.11 ppm Zn, 0.23 ppm B, 0.57 meq/100g K, 4.30 meq/100g Mg, 15.35 meq/100g Ca. The experiment was constructed with two factors viz., factor A (Sulphur) and factor B (Boron) with three level of doses of each, i.e., S0: without Sulphur (control), S20: 20 kg S/ha, S30: 30 kg S/ha and B0: without Boron (control), B2: 2 kg B/ha, B3: 3 kg B/ha. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. In case of Sulphur, the treatment S20 (20 kg S/ha) obtained the maximum plant height (97.811 cm) at harvest, maximum number of tillers hill-1 (26.184) at harvest, highest panicle length (24.98 cm), maximum grains panicle-1 (167.37), maximum 1000-grain weight (27.57g), maximum grain yield (5.46 t/ha) and straw yield (5.71 t/ha), maximum biological yield (11.17 t/ha) and HI (48.88%). Whereas, maximum filled grains panicle-1 (147.37) and minimum unfilled grains panicle-1 (17.89) were found in S30 (30 kg S/ha). In case of Boron, the highest plant height (96.378 cm) was found in B3 (3 kg B/ha). Highest number of total tiller hill-1 (25.149), longest panicle (24.17cm), highest total grains panicle-1 (165.78), filled grains panicle-1 (144.04) and minimum unfilled grains panicle-1 (21.74), maximum 1000-grain weight (25.24g), highest grain, straw and biological yield (4.84, 5.43 and 10.27 t/ha, respectively) and highest HI (47.13%) were found in B2 (2 kg B/ha).The treatment of S20B2 (20 kg S/ha with 2 kg B/ha) performed the best response than other treatments. So, it can be suggested that S at 20 kg/ha and B at 2 kg/ha with recommended dose of NPK and Zn is suitable for maximum yield of Boro rice in calcareous soils of AEZ-11.