Effect of Poultry Manure, Vermicompost and Zinc on Growth and Yield of Rice

Abstract

The field experiment was carried out during Khairf 2022 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHUATS, Prayagraj (U.P), India. The soil of experimental plot was sandy loam in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.1), low in organic carbon (0.36 %), available N (171.48 kg/ha), available P (15.2 kg/ha) and available K (232.5 kg/ha). The experiment was designed in Randomized Block Design, with nine treatments, including a control, replicated three times over the course of a year.  The treatments consists of T1: Poultry manure 4t/ha+ zinc 15kg/ha, T2: Poultry manure 4t/ha + zinc 20kg/ha, T3: Poultry manure 4t/ha + zinc 30kg/ha, T4: Vermicompost 12t/ha + zinc15kg/ha, T5: Vermicompost 12t/ha + zinc 20kg/ha, T6: Vermicompost 12t/ha + zinc 30kg/ha, T7: Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc15kg/ha, T8: Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc 20kg/ha, T9: Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc 30kg/ha are used. The application of Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc 20kg/ha recorded significantly higher Plant height (41.07 cm), Number of tillers per plant (14.33), Plant dry weight (19.05 g/plant), Significantly maximum number of panicles/plant (13.00), grains/panicle (84.00), Test weight (20.01 g), grain yield (5.98 t/ha), Haulm yield (9.44 t/ha), Harvest index (38.79 %) were recorded with the treatment of Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc 20kg/ha. Higher gross returns (Rs. 2,98,907.00/ha), net return (Rs. 2,15,897.00/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.59) was obtained in the treatment of Poultry manure 50% + vermicompost 50% + zinc 20kg/ha.