Transformation and movement of zinc in an alkali soil and their influence on the yield and uptake of zinc by rice and wheat crops

Summary

In the summer of 1980, a field experiment was started to evaluate the direct and residual effect of applied zinc (as zinc sulphate) on the yield and chemical composition of rice and wheat grown as crops in sequence, on an alkali soil. The treatments comprised six rates of zinc 0, 2.25, 4.5, 9.0, 18.0 and 27.0 kg ha⁻¹ applied either only once to the first crop, or repeated to each successive crop in a split plot design with 4 replications. Gypsum at 14 t ha⁻¹, was applied uniformly to all plots. The results show that with respect to increase of yield and available zinc content of soil, an application of 2.25 kg ha⁻¹ zinc frequently to each crop was better than a single high dose. A major portion of the applied zinc accumulated in the 0 to 10 cm soil layer; the movement of zinc to lower layers was negligible. Zinc applications increased the concentration of exchangeable < complexed < amorphous sesquixoides-bound zinc > crystalline sesquioxide-bound zinc fractions. Amorphous sesquixoides bound the major portion of the applied zinc compared to other fractions. Exchangeable and amorphous sesquioxide-bound zinc fractions contributed significantly more to zinc uptake by rice, than the other fractions. DTPA extracted zinc more readily from exchangeable and complexed fractions than from sesquioxides. Application of zinc increased the DTPA extractable zinc and hence zinc uptake by plants.