Nutritional role of calcium in improving rice growth and yield under adverse conditions
2001
Aslam, M. (Coll. of Agriculture, Dera Ghazi Khan (Pakistan)) | Mahmood, I.H. | Qureshi, R.H. | Nawaz, S. | Akhtar, J. | Ahmad, Z.
Investigations on the nutritional aspects of Ca in improving rice growth and yield were conducted in solution and soil cultures and in naturally salt-affected field. In the case of solution culture. Ca at the rate of 5, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 microgram Ca ml-1 was applied in the presence (80 mol m-3) and absence (0 mol m-3) of NaCl salinity; whereas, in case of soil culture, Ca at the rate of 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha-1 was applied to artificially prepared saline (ECe 9 dS m-1, SAR 5.46, pHs 7.8), saline sodic (ECe 9 dS m-1, SAR 28.2, pHs 8.2) soils and in naturally salt affected field (ECe 6 dS m-1, SAR 16.1, pHs 8.2). Three cultivars of differential salinity tolerance used to investigate the ameliorative nutritional aspects of Ca were: KS-282 (salt tolerant), BG 402-4 (mixed behavior) and IR-28 (salt sensitive). Application of Ca improved all growth characteristics (tillering capacity, shoot and root lengths, shoot and root weights) because of external Ca supply @ 20-40 microgram Ca mL-1 in solution culture in the presence of NaCl salinity. Shoot Na+ and Cl- decreased; whereas, K+ concentration and K+: Na+ ratio improved because of Ca supply to saline medium. Paddy and straw yields, plant height and panicle length were significantly higher in saline as compared to saline sodic soil. Application of 200 kg Ca ha-1 proved statistically superior to control in respect of panicle length, number of tillers. paddy and straw yield under both saline and saline sodic soils as well as in naturally salt affected field. The ameliorative effect of Ca was due to reduced shoot Na+ and CI- concentration and better ratio of K+ to Na+ in shoot. Seed setting was improved in all the three cultivars because of external Ca supply to saline and saline sodic soils.
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