Interaction of Genetic and Zn Fertilizer Application on Rice Yield and Grain Zinc Content

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The prevalence of Zn deficiency in Indonesia is considerably high. Development of variety having high nutrient or called as biofortification supposed to be effective and efficient to combat malnutrition such as Zn deficiency. Zn fertilizer application was reported to be effective to increase rice Zn content. ICRR in collaboration with IRRI and Harvest Plus had initiated testing rice genotypes having high Zn content. The aim of this research was to initially study of Zn fertilizer, especially ZnSO4, effect to Zn content in the rice grains and to select genotypes having high the Zn content. The trial was conducted during Wet Season 2016 in Subang, West Java following split plot design of three replications with main plot of two level ZnSO4 fertilizer applications and sub plot of 24 rice genotypes. Transplanting was conducted at 21 days after sowing into 2 m x 3 m plot with planting space of 20 cm x 20 cm. The results showed that there is interaction between genotype and Zn fertilizer on yield but not on Zn content in rice grains. Zn fertilization tends to increase grain Zn content and yield. IR97477-115-1-CRB-0-SKI-1-SKI- 0-2 (5.45 t/ha, 33.65 ppm), IR97477-81-2-CRB-0-SKI-0-SKI-0-2 (5.30 t/ha, 33.40 ppm), and IR97477-115-1-CRB-0-SKI-3-SKI-0-2 (5.56 t/ha, 32.48 ppm) has either high yield or Zn content and prospective for further testing. Correlation analysis showed that Zn is strongly correlated with Fe content. Yield is positively correlated with tiller number and Fe content and negatively correlated with heading date, maturity, plant height, and number of unfilled grain/panicle.