Available Zn Distribution, Response and Uptake of Rice (Oriza sativa) to Applied Zn Along a Toposequence of Lake Gerio Fadama Soils at Yola, North-eastern Nigeria.

Abstract

A screen house pot experiment was conducted at FAO/TCP farm of the Adamawa State University, Mubi north-eastern Nigeria, to study the response of rice to Zn fertilizer application and the distribution of Zn along toposequence of the Lake Gerio Fadama soils of North-eastern Nigeria which was used for the study. The experiment consisted of four Zn rates of 0, 5, 7.5 and 10 kg Zn ha -1 as ZnSO 4.7H 2O. The effect of treatment on Zn concentration and dry matter yields response were determined. The 0.1N HCl and DTPA extractable Zn ranged from 8.5 to 9.5 mg kg -1 soil, 2.2 to 2.7 mg kg -1 soil with mean values of 9.08 and 2.35 mg kg -1 soil respectively. Available Zn soil status is therefore assessed as medium. Dry matter yields and Zn uptake were optimum at 5 kg ha -1 with corresponding values of 2.04 and 11.86 mg kg -1 respectively.