Abstract

                                An experiment was conducted to study the nitrogen use efficiency of nutrient enriched biochar (NEB) from sugar industry wastes with seven treatments comprising T1 (absolute control), T2 (50% RD of PK through NEB), T3 (75% RD of PK through NEB), T4 (100% RD of PK through NEB), T5 (125% RD of PK through NEB), T6 (50% through NEB + 50% through inorganic fertilizer) and T7 (100% RD of PK through inorganic fertilizer) in RBD using the rice variety TRY 3. In all treatments, nitrogen was supplied based on LCC reading. The result revealed that application of N through NEB could release the nitrogen slowly and steadily, thereby increasing the nitrogen use efficiency and crop yield. Since the yield of T3 treatment (6103 kgha-1) was on par with T4 (6165 kgha-1) and T5 (6269 kgha-1) treatments, which indicated that the plants received the essential nutrients in required quantities at 75 % RD of PK through NEB itself. On optimization of graded levels of NEB, the application of 75% RD of Pk through NEB was found to be the best treatment with respect to nitrogen use efficiency and grain yield in response to the quantity of nitrogen applied.

Key words : Nitrogen use efficiency, Biochar, Sugar industry waste, Rice.