Effects of poultry manure and seaweed extract on growth and yield of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract

The heavy use of chemical fertilisers for a long period of time deteriorates the soil quality and productivity of the crop. So, a field trial on “Effects of poultry manure and seaweed extract on growth and yield attributes of rice (Oryza sativa L.)” was conducted during the kharif season (2024) at the Agri Farm, Lovely Professional University, Punjab to evaluate the effectiveness of poultry manure and seaweed extract on the growth and yield of rice. The field trial was structured in a split plot design with three replications; the main plots were poultry manure with four levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha-1) and the subplots were seaweed extract with four levels (0 %, 0.25 %, 0.75 % and 1 %), forming 16 treatment combinations and 48 plots. Results demonstrated that increasing levels of poultry manure significantly improved plant height, number of tillers, dry weight, panicle length and grain yield. The highest grain yield (6.33 t ha-1) and harvest index (48.21 %) were noted with 15 t ha-1 poultry manure (M₄). Among the seaweed extract treatments, 1 % foliar spray (S₄) produced the maximum grain yield (6.01 t ha-1) and harvest index (48.22 %). The combined application of 15 t ha-1 poultry manure + 1 % seaweed extract (M₄S₄) produced the maximum grain yield (7.19 t ha-1). Thus, integrating poultry manure and seaweed extract proved to be a sustainable and eco-friendly practice for improving rice productivity.