PHOSPHORUS UTILIZATION BY RICE (Oryza sativa L.) IN ALLUVIAL SOIL OF DELHI

Abstract

Employing tracer techniques, the effects of split application and dipping of rice seed- ling roots in phosphate slurry on yield and P uptake parameters of rice were studied under field conditions on an alluvial soil of LA.R.I. Farm, New Delhi. Though yields were not influenced much, the P uptake parameters were considerably influenced by both the methods. Rice absorbed more P from DAP than from SSP under split application compared to full basal application, Results, with alternate tagging technique indicated that the fertilizer P uptake was higher from the basally applied portion than from the top dressed quantity. Though seed- ling root dipping in DAP slurry resulted in highest P utilization, this method was Inferior to soil application of P as the latter resulted in more fertilizer P uptake by rice crop when both methods were tried simultaneously.