Response of rice (Oryza sativa) varieties to graded levels of zinc sulphate in partially reclaimed sodic soil of North India

A field experiment was conducted during two consecutive rainy (kharif) seasons of 2004 and 2005 at Kanpur to asses the response of rice (Oryza sativa) varieties to graded levels of zinc sulphate in partially reclaimed sodic soil of North India. Three levels of zinc sulphate (0, 25 and 50 kg ha⁻¹) and 6 rice cultivars, viz. 2 each of local land races (‘Bejhari’ and ‘Kalmuhi’), salt tolerant (‘CSR-10’ and ‘CSR-13’) and high yielding varieties-HYV (‘Pant-12’ and ‘PB-1’), were replicated 4 times in split plot design. Increasing zinc sulphate levels up to 50 kg ha⁻¹ increased the yield attributes, grain and straw yield as well as nutrient uptake; however, influence of zinc sulphate on quality parameters of rice such as protein, starch and mineral matter was not noted. In general, high yielding and salt tolerant varieties were greatly affected by each level of zinc application and proved their superiority due to application of 50 kg ha⁻¹ zinc sulphate than that of its lower doses. However, yield of land races rice cultivars could not reach level of significance at any level of zinc sulphate application. By and large, Pant-12 high yielding rice showed stupendous yield over all rice cultivars. In view of amplitude of variation in yield and nutrients uptake these rice cultivars could be arranged in order of pant-12 > CSR-13 > PB-1 > Bejhari > Kalmuhi > CSR-10.