Dry matter production of rice as influenced by soil amelioration in acid soils
Keywords:
Soil ameliorants, Acid soil, Toxicity, Soil pH, Rice dry matter production, Rice chlorophyll contentAbstract
In Kerala, except for a small area of black soil in Chitoor, the entire soil is acidic. Liming is a dominant and effective practice to overcome constraints and improve crop production on such soils. A field experiment was conducted during January to May,2013 at College of Horticulture, Vellanikkara to study the effects of soil ameliorants on rice crop. Calcium oxide (CaO) @ 377 kg ha-1 together with FYM and NPK, and ‘Mangala setright’ @ 774 kg ha-1 enhanced the soil pH from an initial 5.3 and maintained it above 6.0, which is considered good for rice. The treatments also resulted in significantly higher root weight, root spread and leaf chlorophyll content. The treatment which received the recommended package of practices for rice cultivation resulted in a significantly higher rice dry matter production at all the growth stages. Ameliorants other than dolomite created a favourable soil environment with an optimum pH and nutrient content which resulted in greater nutrient uptake by crop and consequent development of chlorophyll, enhanced photosynthesis and ultimately higher dry matter production.Downloads
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