Effect of Si with NPK Levels on Growth, Yield and Blast Disease of Aromatic Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in North-West Plain Zone of India

Rice is an important cereal crop grown all over world. Blast, disease occurs in almost grown area causing significant yield losses. However, yield losses are prominent due to the improper fertilization and disease incidence in rice. Hence the study was carried out during kharif season at the Agricultural Research Farm of IFTM University, Moradabad (U.P.) with the 10 treatment combinations in randomized block design (RBD) with three replications. The percent disease incidence (PDI) and percent disease control (PDC) of rice blast disease in aromatic rice field was significantly influenced with the application of RDF levels and Si spray. Lowest PDI (34.72%) and maximum PDC (39.4%) in aromatic rice was found in treatment T10 - (100 % RDF + two Si Spray @ 2 ml/ ltr of water at 15 and 40 DAT). Among all the treatments observed significantly increase in all growth and yield attributes viz., plant height (158.84 cm), no. of tillers plant-1 (18.67), fresh weight (290.13 g plant-1), dry weight (103.33 g plant-1), panicle length (31.04 cm), no. of grains panical-1 (180.78 cm), no. of unfilled grains panical-1 (16.70), no. of filled grains panical-1 (180.78), sterility percentage (10.36), 1000-seed weight (33.48 g), grain yield (67.16, q ha-1), stover yield (79.60 q ha-1), biological yield (146.77 q ha-1), harvest index (45.76 %) and B: C ratio (2.85), respectively were recorded with the application of T10 -(150% RDF + two Si spray @ 2ml / liter of water at 15 DAT & 40 DAT).