IMPROVEMENT OF RICE GRAIN ZINC CONCENTRATION THROUGH BIOFORTIFICATION OF ZINCAnny Mrudhula, K., Krishna Veni, B., Suneetha, Y. and Sunil Kumar, M. and Naik, B.S.S.S.Abstract Enhancing the grain zinc concentration in staple food crops has been suggested as a sustainable strategy to solve the problem of zinc deficiency in humans, especially in rice (Oryza sativa L.) which is consumed in more than half of the world. Applying zinc fertilizer to the soil and/or foliage is the most common agronomic practices reported to improve zinc uptake and partitioning into different plant parts, and consequently potentially improving grain yield and nutritional quality in rice grain. Foliar zinc application can militate against nutrient deficiencies in crop plants and increase zinc accumulation in rice grain. In these consequences a field experiment was conducted during kharif, 2019 and 2020 at Agricultural Research Station, Bapatla. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 14 treatments, which were replicated thrice. Treatments were control (without application of zinc), soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1, foliar application of zinc at panicle initiation stage, flowering stage and at grain filling stage@ 0.5%, foliar application of zinc at panicle initiation stage, at flowering stage and at grain filling stage@ 1%, soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 with foliar application of zinc at panicle initiation stage, flowering stage and at grain filling stage @ 0.5%, soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 with foliar application of zinc at panicle initiation stage, flowering stage and at grain filling stage @ 1%. Results revealed that the highest grain yield (5519 kg ha-1) was recorded with soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 + foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 1% over control treatment and it was on par with all other treatments. Significantly the highest zinc content (34) of in whole grain of rice was recorded with soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 +foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 0.5% followed by soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 + foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 1%. In brown rice significantly highest zinc content (22.4) was observed with soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50kg ha-1+ foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 1% over control and it was on par with all other treatments. At 60 days, 120 days and 180 days after harvest of the crop data revealed that soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 + foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 0.5% recorded significantly the highest zinc content in single polished and double polished rice followed by soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1 + foliar application of zinc at grain filling stage @ 1%. |