Zinc Nutrition of Lowland Rice

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in rice has been widely reported in many rice-growing regions of the world. A greenhouse experiment was conducted with the objective of determining Zn requirements of lowland rice. Zinc rates used were 0, 5, 10 20, 40, 80, and 120 mg Zn kg−1 of soil applied to an Inceptisol. Zinc application significantly affected shoot dry weight and grain yield as well as concentrations and uptakes of Zn in soil and plant. Maximum yield of shoot dry weight and grain yield were achieved at 5 and 20 mg Zn kg−1 of soil, respectively. Zinc concentration and uptake in shoot as well as Zn uptake in grain had significant quadratic increases as Zn concentration increased in the soil solution. Zinc concentration as well as uptake was greater in the shoot as compared with concentration and uptake in the grain. Zinc-use efficiencies significantly decreased with increasing Zn rates in the soil except agrophysiological efficiency, which had significant quadratic increases with increasing Zn rates. On average, about 6% of the applied Zn was recovered by the lowland rice plants. Mehlich 1 extracting solution extracted much more Zn than diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). However, Mehlich 1 as well as DTPA-extractable Zn had significant positive correlations with each other as well as with Zn uptake in grain and shoot.