Zinc-Coated Urea for Enhanced Zinc Biofortification, Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Yield of Basmati Rice under Typic Fluvents

Ramesh Chand Bana, Ashok K. Gupta, Ram Swaroop Bana, Yashbir Singh Shivay, Shanti D. Bamboriya, Narendra P. Thakur, Ramphool Puniya, Meenakshi Gupta, Shish Ram Jakhar, Kailash, Raj Singh Choudhary, Ranjeet Singh Bochalya, Tejpal Bajaya, Vipin Kumar, Parshotam Kumar and Anil K. Choudhary
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Ramesh Chand Bana: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Ashok K. Gupta: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Ram Swaroop Bana: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Yashbir Singh Shivay: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Shanti D. Bamboriya: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Narendra P. Thakur: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Ramphool Puniya: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Meenakshi Gupta: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Shish Ram Jakhar: Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur 482 004, India
Kailash: Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Delhi 110 073, India
Raj Singh Choudhary: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Ranjeet Singh Bochalya: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Tejpal Bajaya: Department of Agronomy, Sri Karan Narendra Agricultural University, Jobner 303 329, India
Vipin Kumar: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Parshotam Kumar: Department of Agronomy, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu 180 009, India
Anil K. Choudhary: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Deficiency of Zn in human diet is an emerging health issue in many developing countries across the globe. Agronomic Zn biofortification using diverse Zn fertilization options is being advised for enhancing Zn concentration in the edible portion of rice.A field study was carried out to find out the Zn fertilization effects on biofortification of basmati rice and nutrient use efficiencies in the Himalayan foothills region. Amongst the Zn nutrition treatments, 4.0% Zn-coated urea (ZnCU) + 0.2% Zn foliar spray (FS) using ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O recorded the highest grain (3.46 t/ha) and straw (7.93 t/ha) yield of basmati rice. On average, the rice productivity increase due to ZnCU application was ~25.4% over Commercial Urea. Likewise, the same Zn fertilization treatment also resulted in the maximum Zn (35.93 and 81.64 mg/kg) and N (1.19 and 0.45%) concentration in grain and straw of rice, respectively. Moreover, N use efficiency (NUE) was also highest when ZnCU was applied at 4.0% (ZnSO 4 ·7H 2 O) in comparison to soil application. From the grain quality viewpoint, Zn ferti-fortification had significant effect on elongation ratio and protein concentration of grain only and respective Zn fertilization treatment recorded highest quality parameters 1.90 and 7.44%, respectively. Therefore, ZnCU would be an important low-cost and useful strategy for enhancing yield, NUE and biofortification, and also in minimizing the Zn malnutrition related challenges in human diet in many developing economies.

Keywords: biofortification; protein content; rice grain quality; rice yield; zinc nutrition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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