Organic Manure Seed Pelleting for Enhancing Soil Properties, Nutrient Uptake and Yield of Rice

Background: Seed pelleting involves the sticking of target materials on to the surface of seeds. Pelleted seeds make planting of small seeds much easier by altering their shape, size and density. The call out on organic farming explains the requisite of user friendly and ecofriendly technique for seed management practices. The current study aimed to assess the effect of organic manure seed pelleting for enhancing soil properties, nutrient uptake and yield of rice. Methods: A pot culture experiment was carried out at College of Agriculture, Vellayani during the year 2018-19 to prepare organic manure seed pellets for rice and to evaluate its influence on yield, nutrient uptake and soil nutrient status. Pelleting materials were prepared using various treatment combinations namely, FYM + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T2), vermicompost + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T3), bioslurry flakes + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T4), charcoal powder + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T5), fly ash + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T6), pongamia leaf powder + Azospirillum + Phosphobacteria (T7) and bioslurry + plant extracts + Azospirillum + Pseudomonas (T8: Farmer practice). Result: The results revealed that the highest grain yield (54.84 g pot-1) and straw yield (66.10 g pot-1) were recorded by T3. With regard to the uptake of nutrients, T3 registered the highest uptake of N, K, Ca, S, Zn, Cu and Si in grain and shoot. P uptake in grain was highest in the treatment T4 while T3 had the maximum P uptake in shoot. Nutrient status of the post-harvest soil was significantly influenced by the treatments.