Coated Urea Materials for Improving Yields, Profitability, and Nutrient Use Efficiencies of Aromatic Rice

Yashbir Singh Shivay; Vijay Pooniya; Madan Pal; Prakash Chand Ghasal; Ramswaroop Bana; Shankar Lal Jat

doi:10.1002/gch2.201900013

Coated Urea Materials for Improving Yields, Profitability, and Nutrient Use Efficiencies of Aromatic Rice

Glob Chall. 2019 Sep 5;3(12):1900013. doi: 10.1002/gch2.201900013. eCollection 2019 Dec.

Authors

Yashbir Singh Shivay¹, Vijay Pooniya¹, Madan Pal¹, Prakash Chand Ghasal², Ramswaroop Bana¹, Shankar Lal Jat³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Agronomy ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute New Delhi 110012 India.
² ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research Modipuram Meerut 250110 India.
³ ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research Ludhiana Punjab 141004 India.

Abstract

Intensive cultivation and introduction of input-responsive high-yielding varieties with application of major nutrients in rice-wheat rotation of Indo-Gangetic plains (IGPs) lead to multiple nutrient deficiencies. A survey of Indian soils has shown that 40% are deficient in available zinc (Zn), 33% in sulfur (S), and 33% in boron (B). Studies have indicated that application of these nutrients with major nutrients can improve the crop productivity. Keeping the importance of aromatic rice in view, coated-urea materials and their effects on rice yields, nitrogen (N), and Zn content in different parts and input economics are evaluated. Three field trials are conducted on aromatic rice to test boron-coated urea (BCU), sulfur-coated urea (SCU), and zinc-coated urea (ZnCU) in 2013 and 2014. Results indicate that the highest yields are obtained with 0.5% BCU, 5.0% SCU, and 2.5% ZnCU as zinc sulfate heptahydrate. These treatments increase grain yield by 13%, 25%, and 17.9% over prilled urea (PU). Moreover, 0.5% BCU, 5% SCU, and 2.5% ZnCU register the highest N, S, and Zn contents in bran, husk, grain, and straw. Coated-urea materials also improve use efficiencies and harvest index of N and Zn over PU. The findings of this study suggest that 0.5% boron, 5.0% sulfur, or 2.5% zinc-coated urea show improvement in returns and benefit-cost ratio in aromatic rice of western IGPs.

Keywords: aromatic rice; boron‐coated urea; sulfur‐coated urea; zinc‐coated urea.