Response of Rice Plants Grown in Three Potted Luzon Soils to Additions of Boron, Sulfur, and Zinc¹

Abstract

Three low‐yielding Luzon soils, Quingua clay loam, Bantog loam, and Umingan loam, on which plants did not respond sufficiently to N, P, or K, were tested in pot studies with three levels of B, S, and Zn in a 34 factorial design to show the response on the yield and nutrient content of rice (Oryza sativa L.). None of the soils was deficient in B, as additions of B resulted in decreased yield and the development of foliar symptoms resembling those of B toxicity. Plants in two soils responded to the addition of S; those in Quingua clay loam gave a greater response than those in Bantog loam. Addition of Zn did not increase the yield of plants in any of the three soils. However, young plants growing in Umingan loam exhibited symptoms resembling those of Zn deficiency in treatment Zn0. The level of each nutrient in the straw was increased by the addition of that nutrient to the soil. The most pronounced effect was on the S level in the plant when S was applied to the soil. The linear or quadratic equation to calculate this relationship is presented for each nutrient. The highest level of B applied to the soil, treatment B2, significantly increased the level of S in the straw compared to treatment B0 but it did not increase yield.

Zinc deficiency in rice

“…L o c k a r d et al 15, have suggested that young rice plants may suffer from temporary deficiency duc to a higher zinc requirement during their early growth stages, and that enlargement of the root system may be a factor in their subsequen! L o c k a r d et al 15, have suggested that young rice plants may suffer from temporary deficiency duc to a higher zinc requirement during their early growth stages, and that enlargement of the root system may be a factor in their subsequen!…”

Sulfur deficiency of rice plants in the Lower Volta area, Ghana

“…Hydrogen sulfide, formed under submerged anaerobic conditions, induces iron toxicity, which prevails in rice-growing areas (Tanaka and Yoshida 1970). Nevertheless, sulfur deficiency in rice plants was observed in several countries; e.g., Bangladesh (Karim and Majlis 1958), Brazil (Wang 1979), India (Saran 1949), Indonesia (Ismunadji et al 1975), Myanmar (Aiyar 1945), and the Philippines (Lockard et al 1972). The deficiency is due mostly to a dilution effect caused by increasing yields associated with the intensive use of high-analysis fertilizers that contain little or no sulfur, and the exploitation of new lands in marginal areas.…”