Impact of nitrogen, sulphur and silicon application on the growth and yield of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the Cauvery delta zone of Tamil Nadu

Enhancing agricultural sustainability demands optimizing fertilizer usage for increased yield. Application of key nutrients like nitrogen, essential for plant vigour, sulphur aiding metabolic processes, and silicon fortifying plant resilience, stand vital. Strategically refining the application of these elements is crucial for augmenting crop output while ensuring ecological balance. So, the field experiment was conducted at the Experimental Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University during Rabi season of the year 2022-2023 to study the effect of nitrogen, sulphur and silicon application on growth and yield of lowland rice. The experiments were laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The treatment consisted of 100 % and 125 % nitrogen, 30 and 45 kg sulphur/ha and silicon with different combinations. Half dose of nitrogen and full dose of phosphorus and potassium were applied basally just before transplanting except control treatment. 25 kg N/ha supplied through urea according to Leaf Color Chart (LCC4) reading to the respective treatment plots. Among the different treatments tried, 125% RDN (50% N basal + LCC4 @ 25kg N/ha through Urea) + 45 kg S/ha (Sulphur through Gypsum) + 200 kg Si/ha (Silicon through Diatomaceous Earth) recorded the higher plant height (110.48 cm), LAI (6.74), CGR (9.20 g/m2/day), DMP (13441 kg/ha), number of tillers/m2 (567.18), number of panicles/m2 (406.93), number of filled grains/panicle (133.13), grain yield (6419 kg/ha) and straw yield (7935 kg/ha). The results indicated that, combined use of 125 % nitrogen, 45 kg S/ha, 200 kg Si/ha improved the yield attributes and yield of rice.