MSc

An experiment was conducted in the summer rice
fallows of the Rice Research station, Kayamkulam during 1995
to study the effect of two levels of nitrogen (22.5, and 30
kg N ha-1) three levels of potassium (0, 22.5 and 30 Kg K2O
ha-1) and two methods of application (75 per cent) each of
nitrogen and potassium as basal and 25 per cent each of
nitrogen and potassium as foliar spray at branching (m1), 50
per cent each of nitrogen and potassium as basal and 50 per
cent each of nitrogen and potassium as foliar spray as to
equal splits at branching and just before flowering (m2) on
the growth, yield, oil and protein content, chemical
composition of oil cake, nutrient status of soil after the
experiment and economics.
The study revealed that nitrogen affected LAI, LAD
and NAR, but failed to have any influence on height of the
plants, number of branches plant-1, height at which first
bearing node formed, RGR, CGR, yield attributing characters,
yield and oil content. Test weight, net return, benefit cost
ratio, protein content, uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and

potassium at harvest were significantly affected by the



applied levels of nitrogen.


Nitrogen and phosphorus status



of soil after the experiment decreased with higher levels of



nitrogen.


Higher level of nitrogen resu1 ted in higher



nitrogen and phosphorus status of oil cake than lower level



of nitrogen.


Applied potassium affected most of the growth



characters, protein content, oil content, nutrient uptake by
the plant at harvest, nutrient status of soil after the
experiment, nitrogen and phosphorus content of oil cake, but
not the potassium content of oil cake. Oil content increased



with


increasing


levels


of potassium from 0 to 30 kg K2O


ha-1, but protein content increased only upto 22.5 kg K2O ha-1. Further increase to 30 kg K2O ha-1 decreased the protein content.
Methods of application failed to influence most of
the growth characters except LAI, LAD,NAR, RGR and CGR.
Yield attributes, yield, and quality attributes also had not
influence by different methods of application, while nutrient



uptake by the plants at harvest,


total nitrogen and



available potassium status of the soil after the experiment
and phosphorous content of oil cake were affected
significantly by different methods of application.

Interaction between nitrogen and potassium
significantly influenced height at first bearing node formed,
LAI, LAD, NAR, RGR, CGR, grain yield, net return, benefit
cost ratio, oil content, protein content, nutrient uptake by
the plants and available potassium status of soil after the
experiment,
Interaction between nitrogen and methods of
application had significantly influenced growth characters,
uptake of nutrients and nutrient status of soil after the



experiment,


Phosphorus content of oil cake was only



influenced by different combined application of nitrogen and
methods of application,