Vol. 12, Issue 12 (2023)

Author(s):
Tanjeem Ansari, SB Agrawal, Yagini Tekam, Alpana Kumhare, Monika Masram, Rahul Kumbhare and Kailash Kumar

Abstract:
A field experiment was conducted during the kharif season in the Agricultural Engineering Farm, Department of Agronomy, J.N.K.V.V., Jabalpur (M.P.) under randomized block design with four replications having 7 treatments comprising of different doses of potassium humate at the rate of 136 g, 170 g, and 204 g ha^-1 at the maturity (MT) and panicle initiation (PI) stages of crop with recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) (120: 60: 40 N: P: K kg ha^-1) and compared with 100% recommended dose of NPK fertilizers, for achieving targeted yield by using variety of rice Kranti. The best response was recorded from the application of treatment T₇ (RDF + Potassium humate @ 204 g ha^-1 at MT stage + PI stage) for growth parameters of rice (viz., plant height, tiller hill^-1, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index), which were found at par with 136 g and 170 g ha^-1 at the same stages with RDF. Yield attributing characters viz., effective tiller hill^-1, panicle length, sound grains panicle^-1 and 1000 grain weight (test weight) and nutrient uptake (N,P,K kg ha^-1) by the crop which was significantly higher with the treatment T₇ followed by Potassium humate @ 170 g ha^-1 at MT+PI stage than remaining treatments. Although test weight was not affected by biostimulant treatments at different levels, among all the doses of biostimulant, the application of potassium humate @ 204 g ha^-1 at the MT and PI stages produced the highest grain (5632 kg ha^-1) and straw (7905 kg ha^-1) yields. The harvest index was also found to be higher under treatment T₇. Although the application of potassium humate @ 204 g ha^-1 at the MT + PI stage included the maximum cost of cultivation and gave the maximum gross monetary return (Rs. 128450) and net monetary return (Rs. 84386), However, the highest B:C ratio (2.93) was calculated under the application of potassium humate @ 170 g ha^-1 at MT+PI stage along with RDF. Reports on the application of humic acid (HA) to cereal crops are not very common. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of humic acid in combination with chemical fertilizers on rice growth, yield, and quality.