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.
Description:
A Thesis
Submitted to The Department of Soil Science,
Faculty of Agriculture
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE (MS)
SOIL SCIENCE
