MSc

The study entitled “Seed priming and foliar nutrition of upland rice in coconut garden” was undertaken during 2017-2019 at College of Agriculture,Vellayani,Thiruvananthapuram, with the objectives to standardize the ideal seed priming practice and to assess the influence of foliar application of PGPR mix 1 on growth and yield of upland rice raised as intercrop in coconut garden.
The research work was carried out at Coconut Research Station (CRS), Balaramapuram. The variety used for the trial was Prathyasa. A pot culture experiment was carried out to study the influence of seed priming on germination and seedling vigour of paddy.It comprised 17 treatments and 3 replications done using completely randomized design(CRD).The treatments comprised seed priming with different concentrations of zinc sulphate, borax and PGPR mix-1. Seed priming with zinc sulpate 2 g kg-1 seed + PGPR mix-1 @10 g kg-1 (T5) and seed priming with borax 0.5 g kg-1 seed+ PGPR mix-1 @10 g kg-1 (T13) were selected for field experiment.
The crop was raised as an intercrop in 55 year old coconut garden planted at a spacing of 7.6 m×7.6 m.The field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 11 treatments and 3 replications during kharif 2018 (June to September) .The treatments comprised of seed priming with Zinc sulphate 2 g kg-1 seed + PGPR mix-1 @10 g kg-1 seed(T1),seed priming with Borax 0.5 g kg-1 seed + PGPR mix-1 @10 g kg-1 seed (T2),T1 +Foliar spray of PGPR mix-1@ 2% at panicle initiation stage (T3),T2+Foliar spray of PGPR mix1@ 2% at panicle initiation stage (T4), T1+ soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage(T5) ,T2+ soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage (T6 ),T1 + Foliar spray of PGPR mix-1@ 2% at active tillering and panicle initiation stage(T7 ),T2 + Foliar spray of PGPR mix-1@ 2% at active tillering and panicle initiation stage (T8 ),T1 + soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at active tillering and panicle initiation stage (T9), T2 + soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at active tillering and panicle initiation stage(T10 ),Control (T11 ).Organic manure at 5 t ha-1 and NPK at 70:35:35 kg ha-1 were given uniformily to all treatments. Total rainfall received during the cropping period was 950mm.
The results of the study revealed that seed priming had significant influence on most of the growth characters, physiological parameters, yield attributing characters and yield of upland rice intercropped in coconut garden.
The treatment T5 (T1+ soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage) recorded highest plant height at 40,60 DAS and at harvest. Seedling emergence index was highest for T5 and it was on par with T2,T3,T4 and T10.The highest number of tillers m-2 was recorded in T5 at 40,60 DAS and at harvest and lowest was observed in T11 (Control) .The highest leaf area index was observed in T5 at 40 DAS and 60 DAS but it was on par with T6 (T2+ soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage) at 60 DAS.
T5 also recorded highest root shoot ratio at 50 per cent flowering and was comparable with T2,T6 and T7.Chlorophyll content at 50 percent flowering was highest for T5 and comparable with all other treatments except T2 and T11.
Crop growth rate (CGR) at 40 to 60 DAS was higher in T5, which was on par with T3 and T8 but at harvest higher CGR observed in T5 was comparable with T3, T8 and T9.
The period for 50 per cent flowering was the shortest in T7 (74 days) followed by T5 (75 days).T5 recorded higher values for yield attributes. However it was on par with T4,T7 and T9 for number of panicles m-2,with T7 and T9 for number of filled grains per panicle and with T4, T7 and T9.The lowest sterility percentage recorded in T5 was on par with T4,T7 and T9 .
Data on grain yield revealed that the treatment T5 (T1+ soil application of PGPR mix-1@ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage) recorded the highest grain yield which was statistically on par with T7 (T1 + foliar spray of PGPR mix-1@ 2 per cent at active tillering and panicle initiation stage) and T9 (T1 +soil application of PGPR mix1@ 2 kg ha-1 at active tillering and panicle initiation stage). The grain yield was lowest in control. The highest straw yield was recorded by the treatment T4 which was statistically on par with T6, T5, T1, T11 and T8.
Hence it could be concluded that seed priming with ZnSO4 @ 2g + PGPR mix-1@ 10 g kg seed-1 followed by soil application of PGPR Mix-1 @ 2 kg ha-1 at panicle initiation stage is found effective for higher grain yield and returns in upland rice intercropped in coconut garden.