Isotope-Aided Micronutrient Studies in Rice Production with Special Reference to Zinc Deficiency (I) -Efficiency of $^{65}Zn$ labelled fertilizers under flooded so il condition-

Using tracer technique of , a field experiment has been carried out to evaluate the efficiency of zinc fertilizer by rice plant grown under flooded conditions. The treatments include zinc slufate mixed throughout the soil with and without organic matter, combined urea-zinc fertilizer (N: 37.7%, Zn: 3.1%), and surface application at transplaning and two weeks after transplanting at the rate of 5kg Zn/ha respectively. Other treatments were zinc sulfate mixed throughout the soil at the rate of 10 kg and 20 kg Zn/ha respectively. Root dipping in 2 % ZnO suspension, only organic matter added, and control were also included. There was not much difference in rough grain yield between zinc levels and different application methods, but the highest yield was obtained from the treatment of the root dipping in 2% ZnO suspension. Among the 5kg Zn/ha treatments, the highest total zinc yield was observed from the zinc mixed throughout the soil. The organic matter treatment seemed to reduce the zinc fertilizer efficiency. In case of the zinc fertilizer levels, 5kg Zn/ha mixed throughout the soil showed the highest zinc fertilizer efficiency as compared with 10kg and 20kg Zn/ha treatments.