Abstract:
The experiment was conducted in the net house and the Laboratory of Agro-Environmental
Chemistry laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural
University, Dhaka-1207 and Department of Agricultural Chemistry, BAU during the Boro
season (December-June) of the year 2014-15 to evaluate the effects of arsenic on growth, yield
and nutrients content of two different Boro rice cultivars. The two factorial experiment was laid
out in a CRD design with three replications. Factor A: two varieties [V
ii
1
- BRRI dhan29 and V
-
Binadhan-8] and Factor B: different arsenic doses [As
0
= No arsenic applied, As
=10 ppm As,
As
2
=20 ppm As, As
3
=40 ppm As, As
4
=60 ppm As, As
=80 ppm As]. Arsenic (As) was added
from Sodium Arsenate (Na
2
HAsO
4
.7H
2
5
O). However, Binadhan-8 showed better performance
than BRRI dhan29. Treatment with no arsenic (As
gave higher results in most growth, yield
and yield related parameters. In case of interaction, Binadhan-8 and the treatment As
0)
gave
longer panicle, higher number of filled grains panicle
-1
, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and straw
yield. K, Na, and As content in grain showed statistically significant difference due to the
varietal effect in most cases except Cu. The treatment As
gave higher Na and Cu content
whereas the lowest from As
3
.
1
The maximum As content in grain, straw and root was found in
As
5
whereas the minimum from As
treatment. In interaction, the maximum As content in grain,
straw and root was found in V
1
As
5
0
whereas the minimum As content in grain, straw and root was
observed from V
2
As
treatment. Arsenic contamination significantly decreased almost all the
growth, yield contributing character and nutrient contents. However, the effect was quite varied
with the rice varieties. The As concentration in grain, straw and root of these rice varieties
increased with increasing rate of As addition. Binadhan-8 had the lowest As concentration and
BRRI dhan29 showed the highest As concentration in grain, straw and root. Therefore, it
suggests that arsenic reduces the yield of rice. Therefore it is needed to screen out tolerant or
resistant varieties as well as find any possible ways to obliterate arsenic uptake in rice.
