Effect of integrated nutrient management practices on growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Introduction

With a chromosome number of 2n = 24, rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a member of the genus Oryza and the poaceae family. It is among the world's most significant and reliable food crops. A crop of the moist tropical environment, rice is also produced in humid subtropical areas. It is a selfpollinating crop, or C3. With 75% carbohydrate, 6-7 percent protein (in white rice and 7-9 percent in brown rice), 2-2.5 percent fat, 0.8% cellulose, and 5-9% ash, it is a high-calorie meal. In addition to being a great source of carbohydrates, rice also contributes somewhat to the daily human diet in the form of protein. In addition, rice is important for industry and commerce in addition to grains. Rice hulls and straw are used for packaging, mulching, feed, insulation, and other purposes. More than half of the world's population depends on rice as their primary food supply, particularly in southeast Asia, where 90% of the world's rice output is cultivated and consumed. Since rice is essential to our country's food security, the motto "Rice is Life" is ideal. From below sea level (Kerala) to roughly 200 meters above sea level (Himalayan region), from 80° latitude (Kanyakumari) to 350° latitude (Kashmir), and with annual rainfall ranging from 1250 mm (Assam) to 250 mm (Rajasthan), rice is grown in a variety of soil types, including sandy loams, heavy black cotton soils, normal to saline alkaline soils, and more. Around 158.80 million hectares of rice are grown globally, with an average yield of 4.20 tonnes per hectare and an annual production of roughly 700.00 million tons (Anonymous, 2024) [1] . Of all the food crops grown worldwide, rice is produced in India with pride. India is the country with the largest area and the second-highest output, behind China. With an average yield of 2578 kg/ha and a production of 115.60 million tons, it is cultivated on 43.79 million hectares in India. Punjab has the greatest productivity, West Bengal is the state that produces the most, and Uttar Pradesh has the largest area under rice cultivation. With a yield of 13.27 million tons and a productivity of 2230 kg ha -1 , rice is cultivated on 5.95 million hectares in Uttar Pradesh. (Anonymus, 2024) [1] . A key factor in maintaining rice output and productivity is integrated nutrient management (INM), which increases the effectiveness of applied nutrients. In order to preserve crop production sustainability and meet the growing need for rice grain production, an integration of organic and inorganic fertilizers must be used (Datta and Singh, 2010) [4] . The flexible integrated nutrient management strategy maximizes usage efficiency and improves soil health while using fewer chemicals. The greatest way to fulfill the growing population's demands is through integrated nutrition management. By controlling the fertilizer delivery and reducing nutrient losses to the environment, INM has been demonstrated to significantly increase rice yields and achieve high nutrient use efficiency (Parkinson et al., 2013) [8] Das et al. (2024) [5] . In the majority of nations worldwide, farm yard manure, or FYM, is the most often utilized organic manure. Applying farm yard manure increases soil structure, nitrogen exchange, and soil health, making it ideal for organic or INM farming. FYM is a diverse composted organic material that includes household sweeping, agricultural residue, and manure at different stages of decomposition. It also affected the soil's remaining potassium and phosphorus. With 0.5% nitrogen, 0.2% phosphorus, and 0.5% potassium, FYM is nutrient-dense. Applying FYM enhances the physical characteristics of the soil, such as its structure, aeration, and water-holding capacity, as well as its fertility. Poultry manure, which is the urine of poultry, includes 0.8% potassium, 0.5% phosphorus, and 0.9% to 1.5% nitrogen. It has the most N, P, and K of any animal dung. Chicken excrement, or poultry dung, is utilized as an organic fertilizer, particularly for soil that lacks nitrogen. Every month, one chicken generates around 8-11 pounds of excrement. The byproduct of the solvent extraction procedure for neem oil cake and the cold pressing of neem tree fruits and kernels is neem cake organic manure. In addition to being high in plant nutrients, it also includes alkaloids like Nimbidin and Nimbin, which have the ability to prevent nitrification and release nitrogen gradually. In addition to other micronutrients including nitrogen (2.0% to 5.0%), phosphorus (0.5% to 1.0%), and potassium (1.0% to 2.0%), it provides 100% natural NPK in organic form. The cake is also high in liminoids and sulfur compounds. Neem cake is a preferred input due to its dual use as manure and a biopesticide. It supplies the macronutrients needed for all plant growth, aids in boosting plant production over time, is biodegradable, environmentally benign, and a great soil conditioner. Therefore, for long-term production and improved usage in organic rice cultivation, the use of organic sources such as FYM, chicken manure, and neem cake should be prioritized. The goal of integrated nutrient management (INM) is to employ all of the main plant nutrient sources wisely and effectively in a coordinated way (Farouque & Takeya, 2007) [6] .

Methods and Materials

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2024-25 on loamy sand of in the rural area of Kanpur district of Mandhana, located 10 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh to Effect of Integrated nutrient management practices on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.) crop. The soil was normal in pH of 7.65, electrical conductivity (EC) of 0.27 dSm-1, organic carbon content of 0.41%, and available nutrients including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) at levels of 217.0, 19.5, and 149.50 kg ha-1, respectively. Experiment was conducted with 11 treatments viz., T1-100% RDF (Inorganic fertilizer) (150N + 60P2O5 + 40K2O Kg/ha.) + 25 kg/ha ZnSO4, T2-50% RDF through (IF)+ 50% RDN through FYM, T3-50% RDF through (IF) + 50% RDN through Poultry Manure, T4-50% RDF through (IF) + 50% RDN through Neem Cakes, T5-75% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through FYM, T6-75% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure, T7-75% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes, T8-100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through FYM, T9-100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure, T10-100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes, T11-100% RDF through FYM (Organic source).

Randomized Block Design with three replications was used. data were gathered on five plants chosen from each plot.

Results

The results clearly show that differing INM techniques had no discernible impact on plant height at 30 DAT, but that they had a considerable impact at the remaining stages. The results show that T 10 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) at 60 DAT had higher plant height, which was significant over the other treatments but comparable to T 9 [2] .

In Table 2 shows that with the exception of 30 DAT, it is obvious that all treatments had a considerable impact on the number of tillers m -2 at all growth phases. The number of tillers rose as the crop became older, but around 30 DAT, the pace of growth halted. It makes it abundantly evident that the rice great growth phase occurs between 30 and 60 DAT. The treatment T 10 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) produced a higher number of tillers m-2 than the other treatments. This was significant at the 60 DAT, 90 DAT, and harvest stages, and it was comparable to treatment T 9 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure). Treatment T 10 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) had the most tillers m -2 (457.83 m-2), whereas treatment T 11 (100% RDF through FYM (Organic source)) had the fewest (254.12 m -2 ). Similar result reported by Choudhary et al, (2009) [3] & Devi et al, (2012) [11s] Sharma et al, (2021) [10] .

Dry matter accumulation (gm -2 )

With the exception of the 30 DAT stage, all treatments resulted in a marked increase in dry matter buildup. Higher dry matter accumulation was observed by T 10 (100% RDF via (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) at 60 DAT, which was significant above the other treatments but comparable to T 9 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure) and T 8 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through FYM). Treatment T 10 (100% RDF via (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) provided the highest dry matter accumulation, outperforming all other treatments by a large margin. At 90 DAT and harvest stage, treatment T 9 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure) was comparable. T 10 (100% RDF via (IF) + 25% RDN through Neem Cakes) had the highest dry matter accumulation (996.50 gm -2 ) at harvest, followed by T 9 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through Poultry Manure) (947.86 gm-2) and T 8 (100% RDF through (IF) + 25% RDN through FYM) (898.72 gm -2 ).Similar result reported by Khan et al, (2019) &Kumar et al, (2018) [7] , Sanjay et al, (2014) [9] .

Conclusion

The study revealed that different Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practices significantly influenced plant height, tiller number, and dry matter accumulation beyond 30 DAT. Treatment T10 (100% RDF through inorganic fertilizer + 25% RDN through neem cake) consistently outperformed other treatments, recording the highest plant height, tillers m⁻², and dry matter accumulation, particularly at 60, 90 DAT, and harvest. It was statistically at par with T9 (RDF + poultry manure) and T8 (RDF + FYM). Minimal performance was observed with T11 (100% RDF through FYM). These results underscore the effectiveness of combining inorganic fertilizers with organic sources like neem cake in enhancing rice growth.

References

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