International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development

author(s)
Dhanalakshmi M and Thiyageshwari S

abstract
Zinc deficiency in soil poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity due to its importance in plant and human metabolism. This study explores the impact of zinc-solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) on growth of aerobic rice in low and high zinc soil. A pot experiment was conducted at the Agricultural College and Research Institute in Madurai within the Department of Soils and Environment. The study used the short-duration rice variety Anna-4 (a cross between Pantdhan 10 and IET 9911) as the test subject. Using a factorial completely randomized block design, the experiment utilized two distinct soil series: the zinc-deficient (Madukkur series) and the zinc-rich (Vyalogam series). The treatment consists of different combinations viz., Absolute control (T₁), 100% RDF alone (T₂) and 100% RDF + ZSB (T₃). The maximum growth attributes of aerobic rice (root length, shoot length and number of root hairs) were registered by soil application of 100% RDF + ZSB. As a pioneering study, this investigation evaluated aerobic rice growth in both low and high zinc soil to measure the effectiveness of zinc-solubilizing bacteria (ZSB). The results demonstrated that applying ZSB along with the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) significantly enhances both crop productivity and soil nutrient status.