Co-fertilization of Silicon and Phosphorus influenced the Dry Matter Accumulation, Grain Yield, Nutrient Uptake, and Nutrient-Use Efficiencies of Aerobic Rice

Abstract Rice is known to be a nutrient exhaustive crop and the application of silicon (Si) has been reported for the better utilization of plant nutrients from the soil. Hence, the response of the plant to phosphorus (P) could be enhanced by co-fertilization of Si and P. The present study evaluates the dry matter production (DMP), grain yield, nutrients uptake, and nutrient-use efficiency (NUE) of Si and P application in aerobic rice (AR). Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi, India in a factorial randomized block design (FRBD), the treatments comprised four levels of Si (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg Si ha–1) and P (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg P2O5 ha–1) application. The results revealed the significant effect of Si and P application on DMA, grain yield, and nutrient uptake in AR. The highest DMP and grain yield of AR was found with the combination of 120 kg Si and 90 kg P2O5 ha–1 closely followed by the combination of 80 kg Si and 60 kg P2O5 ha–1. The rate of increase in DMP due to different doses of Si and P ranged between 7.6–25.6% over control. A strong positive relationship was observed between different doses of Si and P and concentrations and uptakes of different nutrients, barring zinc (Zn). Application of Si and P elevated the grain concentration of Si, nitrogen (N), P, and potassium (K) by 25, 16.5, 47, and 25%, respectively, over control. Overall, the addition of Si and P application in nutrient management could increase the productivity and NUE of AR.