Growth and yield of rice as influenced by potassium and kinetin

Abstract

With a view to study the effect of potassium and kinetin on growth, asssim iiate partitioning, nutrient uptake and yield of a short duration rice variety Triveni, an experim ent was conducted at the Cropping Systems Reasearch C entre, K aram ana, Trivandrum during summer 1987. The soil of the experim ental field was sandy loam, acidic in re action, low in available nitrogen and potassium and medium in available phosphorus. The treatm en ts consisted of a factorial combination of 4 levels of potassium (0, 17.5, 35 and 70 kg K20/ha) and 4 levels of kinetin (w a te r1 spray, 10 ppm kinetin at flowering, 10 ppm kinetin at 10 DAF and 10 ppm kinetin at flowering and again at 10 DAF). The experiment was laid out in a randomised block design with three replications. An abstract of the results is given below. The effects of potassium and kinetin were synergestic on growth, yield and nutrient uptake of rice and a combination of 35 kg K2O/ha plus a single spray of 10 ppm kinetin at 10 DAF was optimum. Both potassium as well as kinetin application prevented the accum ulation of carbohydrate and proteins in the ’source' and enhanced their accum ulation in the econom ic 'sink'. Their interaction effect was also favourable in this respect and 35 kg K20 /h a plus a single spray of 10 ppm kinetin at 10 DAF was optimum.