Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the highly sensitive crops to zinc deficiency. Zinc is the most important micronutrient limiting rice growth and yield next to nitrogen and phosphorus. Soil having coarse texture, low organic matter content, high pH and presence of CaCO3 are prone to zinc deficiency. Zinc deficiency usually appears in 2 to 3 weeks after transplanting rice seedlings. It affects tiller production, plants remain stunted and in severe cases complete crop loss may occur. Also it increases the spikelet sterility and time to crop maturity. It can be managed by soil application and foliar spray of zinc fertilizers. Soil application of zinc sulphate through broadcasting and incorporation proved more efficient and economical method for correcting the zinc deficiency.
Zinc Deficiency Management, Rice, Higher Productivity, highly sensitive crops
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