Vol. 11, Issue 9 (2022)

Author(s):
Moumita Ash, Janardan Yadav and Plabani Roy

Abstract:
Zinc (Zn) is one of the most crucial micronutrients for optimum plant growth. Low land rice (Oryza sativa L.) is apparently more susceptible towards Zn deficiency possibly due to the prevailing submergence condition. Zn solubilizing microbes are capable of transforming soil occluded zinc viz. zinc oxide (ZnO), zinc carbonate (ZnCO₃), zinc phosphate [Zn₃ (PO₄)₂] into plant available forms. In view of limited information, a pot experiment was conducted at Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences (IAS), BHU, Varanasi, UP during kharif, 2018-19, to evaluate the growth parameters viz. plant height and chlorophyll content of rice at different growth stages (30 DAT & 60 DAT) to different levels of ZnO in combination with Zn solubilizing microbes. Zinc deficient soil was collected from Agricultural Research Farm, IAS, BHU which were treated with three different doses of ZnO (0, 2.5 and 5 kg ha^-1) along with three types of microbial inoculation, viz. no inoculation (M₀), Enterobacter cloacae strain ZnPSBJ-6 (M₁) and zinc solubilizing fungi (M₂). Plant height was remained statistically at per for M₀, M₁ and M₂. Whereas, highest chlorophyll content was recorded for M₂ in combination with Z₂ which were 35.7% and 39.8% higher over the control (M₀Z₀), respectively.