Effect of Silicon Application on Growth, Yield and Uptake of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Two Different Soils

Abstract

Two pot experiments were conducted to study the effect of silicon application on growth, yield and uptake of rice plant, to observe the response of silicon fertilization in relation to two different soils and to evaluate the optimum rate of silicon fertilizer for rice production in each soil during dry and wet season, 2019 at Department of Soil and Water Science, YAU. The experiment was laid out in split plot design with four replications. The main plots were soil types; Shwebo and Yezin soils and sub plots were levels of silicon with Si 0, Si 100, Si 150, Si 200 and Si 250 kg·ha-1. Urea, T-super and Potash fertilizers were applied at recommended dose of DAR (85:12:31 kg·ha-1 NPK). The calcium silicate fertilizer was used as a silicon source. In dry season, Shwebo soil provided the higher tiller numbers, grain yield, straw yield and nutrient uptake than Yezin soil. In both seasons, panicle numbers per hill were higher in Shwebo soil and panicle length and spikelets per panicle were higher in Yezin soil. The effect of silicon application on grain yield and Si uptake was found in the second season. The maximum grain yield was achieved from the application of Si 250 kg·ha-1 which was not statistically different from the application of Si 200 kg·ha-1. According to this study, the application of Si 200 kg·ha-1 in combination with the recommended dose of NPK fertilizers could be used to give the optimum grain yield in two soils. Silicon uptake of rice was significantly increased by all the silicon levels compared to control in two soils. A significant interaction was not observed in all parameters in this study.