Over dependence on chemical fertilizers is a threat to the sustainability of rice ecosystem. Application of organic and biofertilizers might reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers and thus can play a vital role to boost up rice productivity in an eco-friendly way. An experiment was conducted at Mymensingh (24°10'0'' N latitude and 90°25'0" E longitude at 15 m above the sea level), Bangladesh during November 2015 to April 2016 to evaluate the effect of different dosages of Agroplus Biodecomposer, an organic biofertilizer containing Streptomycetes bacteria, on the growth and yield performance of some rice. The experiment included four winter rice varieties viz. (i) Hybrid rice Hira and (ii) Hybrid rice Tej (iii) BRRI dhan28 and (iv) BRRI dhan29; and four concentrations of Agroplus Biodecomposer viz. (i) no Agroplus Biodecomposer (Control), (ii) 2% Agroplus Biodecomposer (iii) 3% Agroplus Biodecomposer and (iv) 4% Agroplus Biodecomposer. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Agroplus Biodecomposer positively influenced growth and productivity of winter rice. It was evident that both plant height and tillering ability of winter rice were increased gradually with increased concentration of Agroplus Biodecomposer at all the growth stages of rice. All the yield contributing characters of rice were enhanced due to Agroplus Biodecomposer application which resulted in increased grain yield. Compared to control, rice grain yield was increased by 14, 20 and 28%, respectively due to application of Agroplus Biodecomposer at 2, 3 and 4% concentration. Rice variety also differed significantly in terms of growth and yield performance among themselves. Hybrid varieties performed better than inbred ones. Hybrid variety Hira appeared as the best performer followed by another hybrid Tej. Hybrid variety Hira interacted favorably with 4% Agroplus Biodecomposer to produce the highest grain yield of rice (7 t ha-1). Therefore, biofertilizer Agroplus Biodecomposer can be introduced to Bangladesh and foliar spray with 4% Agroplus Biodecomposer at 30, 45 and 60 DAT can be recommended for boosting up winter rice yield in a sustainable way.
Key words: Agroplus Biodecomposer, Biofertilizer, Boro rice, Rice yield
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