Rice Response to Zn in Flooded and Nonflooded Soil1

Abstract
Zinc deficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.) has only recently been diagnosed. Although most Zn studies have been conducted on flooded rice, comparative data concerning the availability of Zn under upland and flooded soil conditions is needed. Therefore, rice (var. ‘Bluebelle’) was grown hi greenhouse pots on flooded and moist, limed Crowley sil (pH 7.5). Phosphorus, as concentrated superphosphate, was applied at rates of 20 and 200 ppm and Zn as ZnSO4, was applied at rates of 1, 4, and 16 ppm. Dry matter production and P uptake of immature plants were doubled and uptake of Zn was up to five times as great when the plants were grown on flooded rather than moist soil. The Zn concentration in the tissue decreased at the high P rate on moist but not on flooded soil. The percentage recovery of fertilizer Zn by the crop was greater from flooded than moist soil, especially at the high P rate.Mixed and surface applications of Zn were comparable for flooded rice, whereas middepth placement (8 cm below soil surface) was less effective. Both surface and middepth placements were less effective than mixing under nonflooded soil conditions. Results of laboratory studies indicated that the mobility of Zn applied as ZnSO4 was comparable in flooded and moist soil. The amount of DTPA‐extractable Zn tended to be higher in moist than in flooded soil. This suggests that DTPA may not provide a reliable measure of Zn availability in flooded soils and that differences in Zn uptake may be related to root distribution or some other physiological or morphological characteristic of rice roots growing in moist or flooded soil.

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