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Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during the Kharif season of 2023 at the Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla, to evaluate the influence of foliar zinc application on the yield and quality attributes of coloured rice (Oryza sativa L.). The study employed a split plot design (SPD) with four main plot treatments comprising coloured rice varieties M1 : Navara, M2: BPT-2858, M3: BPT-2841, and M4 : Kujipatalia and four sub-plot treatments involving foliar application of ZnSO₄ at 0.2% concentration at different growth stages: S1 – no zinc application, S2 – application at the tillering stage, S3 – application at both tillering and panicle initiation stages, and S4 application at tillering, panicle initiation, and booting stages. Each treatment combination was replicated thrice. The findings indicated that the Kujipatalia variety (M4 ) produced the highest grain and straw yields. In terms of physical quality traits, milling percentage was maximized in Kujipatalia, kernel length in BPT 2841, kernel breadth in Navara, and overall physical quality was superior in BPT-2858. Regarding chemical quality parameters, BPT-2841 exhibited the highest levels of total phenols, carbohydrates, amylose, crude f iber, antioxidant activity, and anthocyanin content. BPT-2858 recorded the highest crude ash, crude fat, and zinc content in grain, whereas Kujipatalia showed the greatest crude protein and zinc content in straw. Among the zinc application treatments, the foliar application of ZnSO₄ at 0.2% during tillering, panicle initiation, and booting stages (S4 ) consistently resulted in the most favourable outcomes across all measured parameters. Consequently, the combination of Kujipatalia, BPT-2841, and BPT-2858 varieties with the S4 zinc application schedule proved to be the most effective in enhancing both yield and quality traits. In contrast, the Navara variety without zinc supplementation (S1 ) demonstrated the lowest performance in yield and quality, although it recorded the highest kernel breadth.