Effect of nutrient management practices on zinc concentration and grain, straw yield of Paddy

Rice is the predominant staple crop in developing countries in which zinc i.e., one of the essential micronutrients required in small amounts (5-100 mg/kg) in plant is mostly found deficient. The experiment was conducted with different nutrient sources along with microbial inoculants in the kharif season, 2016 at the research farm of ICAR research complex for the Northeastern Himalayan region situated at Barapani, Meghalaya in split-plot with three types of nutrient management practices viz,. organic, integrated nutrient management and inorganic (RDF) in the main plot and three microbial inoculants viz., Azospirillum, zinc solubilizing bacteria and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria in a subplot in split plot design replicated thrice. Grain yield and Zn uptake was found highest in INM and Azospirillum+PSB+ZnSB. On the other hand, Zn content was found highest in organic source and in Azospirillum+PSB+ZnSB.