Zinc Fertilization Effect on Fine Rice (BRRI dhan50) under Bangladesh Condition

Abstract

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays a crucial role in rice growth and yield. An experiment was conducted at the research field of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur, to evaluate the effect of zinc on the yield and quality of BRRI dhan50. The study was designed using a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The results showed that plant height, number of tillers hill-1, panicle length, number of effective tillers per hill, number of non-effective tillers per hill, number of grains per panicle, number of sterile grains per panicle, thousand grains weight, straw yield, biological yield, and grain yield (t ha⁻¹) were significantly influenced by zinc application. However, the highest grain yield (7.19 t ha⁻¹) was obtained from the treatment Zn4T2, where 10.70 kg ha-1 of zinc was applied at 50 DAT (days after transplanting). In contrast, the lowest yield was recorded in the control treatment, where no zinc fertilizer was applied at 75 DAT. Overall, the Zn4T2 treatment demonstrated superior performance compared to other treatments. Therefore, the findings suggest that applying zinc at 10.70 kg ha⁻¹ at 50 DAT can be an effective strategy for enhancing rice production. Based on these results, farmers in the subtropical environment of Bangladesh may be advised to apply zinc at the recommended rate to achieve higher rice yields.