Yield and its attributes responses of drought tolerant upland 'NERICA' rice to different nutrient supplying treatments in rainforest transitory agroecology

Abstract

A screen house trial was conducted to evaluate reproductive growth responses of drought tolerant upland rice cultivars (NERICAs 1-4, WAB 56-104 and Moroberekan) to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) inoculation under water deficit. A field trial was organized in randomized complete block test with three replicates, conducted in the late cropping season of 2012. We evaluated upland rice cultivars to different nutrient sources (AMF, AMF + 60 kg N ha-1 + 30 kg K ha-1, 60 kg N ha-1+ 30 kg K ha-1 and control). In the screen house inoculated rice had higher (P < 0.05) grain yield plant-1 (19.29 g plant-1) and its attributes than non-inoculated, except number of grain per panicle (108). On the field combination of AMF + 60 kg N ha-1 + 30 kg K ha-1 produced higher (P < 0.05) reproductive growth. Varietal variability (P < 0.05) was observed on AM colonisation and reproductive growth in both trials, with 'NERICA 2'was the most promising cultivar under tested agroecology condition.