Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

STATUS OF AVAILABLE NUTRIENTS (P, K, S AND NA) IN SOIL AS INFLUENCED BY SILICON FERTILIZATION IN RICE (ORYZA SATIVA) IN TYPIC USTOCHREPTS SOIL

Jugal K. Malav, K. C. Patel, O. P. Meena, Vinod B. Mor and A. N. Chaudhary

Abstract

Status of available nutrients (P, K, S and Na) in harvested rice as influenced by silicon fertilization in Typic Ustochrepts soil was studied in a pot experiment at the Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat, India, during kharif 2010. The treatments comprised of four levels of silicon (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg kg-1 soil) and were laid out in factorial completely randomized design and rice (CV. Gurjari) was taken as a test crop with three replicates. Among the different levels of silicon, 200 mg Si kg-1 soil significantly increased P, K, S and Na status of soil after rice harvest in low Si (<25 mg Si kg-1 soil) and medium Si (25-50 mg Si kg-1 soil) soils categories. While, in high Si category soil (>50 mg Si kg-1 soil) significant response was obtained at lower dose of Si application i.e. 100 mg Si kg-1 soil. However, nutrient status reduced after further increase in Si rate.