EFFECT OF ADDED DIFFERENT DOSES OF ARSENIC ON GROWTH, YIELD AND ARSENIC ACCUMULATION IN BRRI dhan45 (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted in front of the Soil Science Department of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from December 2016 to March 2017 to evaluate the effect of arsenic on the growth and yield of BBRI dhan45. A pot experiment was conducted which comprised with six levels of arsenic doses 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 ppm. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Increased As showed adverse effect on plant height, effective tillers per plant, non-effective tillers per plant, filled grain per plant, unfilled grain per plant, grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight and grain & straw yield of rice. A popular Boro rice variety named BRRI dhan45 was cultivated with arsenic amended soil (0 mg, 0.1 mg, 0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 2.0 mg and 4.0 mg/kg As containing soil). Sodium arsenate (Na 2 HAsO 4 ) was added to soil for arsenic source. The tillers number, panicle length and grain yield of BRRI dhan45 rice were found to decrease significantly (p≤0.05) with increase of arsenic (As) concentration in soil. The highest values of plant height and straw yield was observed in 0.5 mgkg -1 treatment, whereas highest tillers number, panicles number, panicle length and grain yield were found in control treatment. The lowest values of these parameters were observed in the treatment of 4.0 mgkg -1 As containing soil. Rice growth and yield were significantly affected by arsenic in soil (p≤0.05). Lower concentration of arsenic in soil (up to 0.5 mgkg -1 ) stimulated the rice growth and yield but higher concentration of arsenic in soil (above 0.5 mgkg -1 ) reduced the rice growth and yield markedly. Farmers of Bangladesh should avoid above 0.5 mgkg cultivation.