Secondary and Multi-micronutrient (S, B & Zn) Doses on Yield and Residual Effect on Rice-groundnut Cropping System in Alfisols of Odisha, India

Abstract

Orissa is the fourth largest state in India covering an area of 15.57 m ha out of which the net sown area is 6.13 m ha. Out of 8 broad soil groups found in the state, red and laterite groups of soil occupy more than 75% of total cultivable area. Low productivity of crops in red and laterite soils are associated with deficiency of Ca, Mg, S, B and Mo (Mitra and Sahu, 1988). The DTPA extractable Zn also indicates that red and laterite soils of Orissa is deficient in available Zn and respondent to Zn application to rice crop (Anonymous, 2002; Mandal et al., 2009). Next to Zn, the deficiency of B is wide spread in many districts of the state as well as contrary (Sharma et al., 2006). Rice-Groundnut is the most prevailing cropping pattern in red and Lateritic soils of Orissa. In spite of recommended dose of NPK fertilizer, the farmers get low yield. A field experiments were carried out with rice-groundnut cropping systems in two successive cropping seasons each, to study the effect of S, B and Zn on grain yield, nutrient uptake and their accumulation. The experimental design included ten treatments, T1: control, T2 : S  40 kg/ha, T3 : B  1 kg/ha, T4 : Zn  5 kg/ha, T5 : FYM  5 t/ha, T6 : S+B, T7 : S+Zn, T8 : B+Zn, T9 : S+B+Zn and T10 : S+B+Zn+FYM replicated thrice in randomized block design. Integrated use of S + B + Zn with FYM was the ideal combination for rice-groundnut cropping system as it was more sustainable, recorded the highest yield and SYI value along with higher accumulation and uptake of nutrients. The results revealed that red and lateritic soils are poor in S and B need integrated use of S, B and Zn along with recommended dose of NPK for getting synergistic and best effect in rice-groundnut cropping system.