Status and Forms of Sulphur Zinc and Boron in Paddy Growing Soils of Kalghatagi Taluk in Dharwad District and Response of Paddy to Their Application

Abstract

The studies were carriedout on the Status and forms of sulphur, zinc and boron newlinein paddy growing soils of Kalaghatagi taluk in Dharwad district and response of paddy newlineto their application during kharif 2017 and 2018. newlineTwo hundred twenty five surface soil samples were collected from the farmers newlinefields in 15 villages and the results of the survey study revealed that soils were sandy newlineloam, silty loam and clay in texture, acidic to alkaline in reaction, low in total soluble newlinesalts, low to medium in organic carbon, available nitrogen and phosphorus and medium newlineto high in available potassium and 42.2, 50.7 and 66.7 per cent of the soils were newlinedeficient in available sulphur, zinc and boron, respectively. The distribution of different newlineforms of sulphur in the study area followed the order: water soluble-S lt sulphate-S lt newlineorganically bound-S lt total-S; zinc: water soluble plus exchangeable-Zn lt organically newlinebound-Zn lt amorphous sesquioxide-Zn lt crystalline bound-Zn lt total-Zn and boron: newlinereadily soluble-B lt specifically absorbed-B lt total-B. newlineField experiments were laidout in farmer s field in Hulikoppa village with 16 newlinetreatments replicated thrice in RCBD and the results revealed that application of ZnSO4 newlineat 25 kg ha-1 and borax at 3 kg ha-1 along with their foliar sprays each at 0.50 per cent newlineat 50 DAS recorded significantly higher grain (65.9 q ha-1) and straw (77.6 q ha-1) yields newlineand grain protein content (7.31%) with higher net returns (` 47, 998 ha-1) and B: C ratio newline(2.38) and improved the fertility of soil. There was higher uptake of nitrogen, potassium newlineand sulphur and micronutrients by the crop. This treatment was statistically similar to newlinesoil application of gypsum at 89 kg ha-1 along with ZnSO4 and borax foliar sprays each newlineat 0.5 per cent at 50 DAS and hence either of these two treatments may be suggested for newlineimproving paddy productivity and soil fertility. newline